Overview
- A new WHO report finds 1.8 million Europeans die before age 70 each year from non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory illness and diabetes.
- Sixty percent of these premature deaths are linked to preventable factors including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, high blood pressure, unhealthy diets, obesity and physical inactivity.
- The remaining 40 percent of fatalities could be prevented or delayed through timely diagnosis and optimal treatment.
- Progress in reducing NCD mortality stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Eastern Europe now experiencing the highest rates of avoidable deaths.
- WHO highlights success in Belgium, Denmark and Israel and recommends systematic data collection to guide prevention strategies that could save billions in healthcare costs.