- Despite the general advances in the field of health, the incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases is increasing all over the planet.
- If the current rate continues by the middle of this century, they could mean 86% of the annual deaths.
- The WHO points out the great setback that it entailed in the race towards development goals due to Covid-19, which translates into 336.8 million years of life lost.
Around the planet there is a phenomenon related to the current lifestyle that prevails. According to a new report from the World Health Organization, noncommunicable diseases are increasing steadily and are responsible for almost three quarters of annual deaths globally.
The highest health authority added that, if the same rate is maintained, chronic diseases will be an increasing threat for future generations. He also estimated that, if they do not change the path they are taking, they will cause 86% of annual deaths by mid-century.
In its World Health Statistics annual reportthe WHO offers an overview of the main health problems and urges action to unravel the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Impact of climate change
In addition to non-communicable diseases, the study highlights the impact that the climate change has on the health of people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable.
Climate change continues to degrade a fast-paced environment and physical and mental healthwhich poses enormous risks for everyone.
Prepared with data up to 2022, the document says that, although exposure to many health risks, such as tobacco or alcohol use, violence, unsafe water and poor sanitation, progress has been inadequate. While other risks, such as air pollution, are still present in people’s lives.
Setbacks due to the pandemic
In a section dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemicthe WHO points out the great setback that this entailed in the race towards the development goals, calculating the years of life lost at 336.8 million, an average of 22 years for each of the 14.9 million additional deaths.
It details that the pandemic slowed down the progress of many health indicators and exacerbated inequalities in access to quality medical care, systematic vaccination and financial protection for health expenses.
As a result, there was a disruption of primary health services globallythe positive trends in the fight against diseases such as tuberculosis were reversed and the number of people receiving treatment for neglected tropical diseases decreased.
The pandemic has also exposed and deepened the enormous inequalities that exist both between and within countries. One of the main ones is inequity in access to vaccines against COVID-19. Populations with lower educational levels residing in low- and middle-income countries had more limited and delayed access to immunization, and even today remain less likely to have received the vaccine.
On the other hand, he stressed the alarming incidence of obesity, a public health problem that is growing rapidly with no signs of slowing down in the immediate future and that leads to an increase in other chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
Far from universal health coverage
With regard to progress towards universal health coverage, the WHO reported that it has slowed down compared to the steps achieved up to 2015, despite the fact that financial difficulties due to the costs of medical care remain in force.
Also read:
Noncommunicable diseases, the epidemic of the modern era
Living with stress leads to non-communicable diseases, according to expert
Mexico’s double problem: It faces diseases from advanced and developing countries