WHO warns of growing NCD burden despite longer lives

The WHO’s latest Global Health Estimates showed that noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, accounted for 74 per cent of deaths worldwide, underscoring a growing global health challenge.

The organisation said the increase in global life expectancy was encouraging but stressed the need to ensure that longer lives were matched by better health outcomes.

Diabetes was also emerging as a major cause of death across many regions, while anxiety and depression were driving higher numbers of years lived in poor health, the statement said.