The World Health Organization's "Global Status Report on noncommunicable diseases 2014" found a whopping 16 million people die prematurely from generally preventable causes.
The new report suggests a small investment of between $1 and $3 per person per year could dramatically reduce deaths from conditions such as "heart and lung diseases, a stroke, cancer or diabetes."
"Every country needs to set national targets, to implement cost-effective actions to reduce tobacco use, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, and to deliver universal health care. WHO recommends cost-effective and high-impact interventions, notably, banning all forms of tobacco and alcohol advertising, eliminating trans fats, promoting and protecting breastfeeding, and preventing cervical cancer through screening. Implementing these policies effectively involves actions outside the health sector, including public policies in agriculture, education, food production, trade, taxation and urban development," WHO stated.
Turkey was the first country to implement all the recommended measures for tobacco reduction such as increasing tax on the products and making sure health warnings covered at least 65 percent of the total surface area of the packaging. In response they achieved a 13.4 percent relative decline in smoking rates from 2008 to 2012.
Hungary started taxing food and drink components that could have harmful effects if consumed in excess, such as products containing high amounts of sugar or salt. The changes prompted 40 percent of manufacturers to reduce the taxable ingredients in their recipes, and people consumed between 25 and 35 percent less of the products that were not reformed.
"The WHO report provides the baseline for monitoring implementation of the 'Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013-2020' which seeks to reduce the number of premature deaths from NCDs by 25 [percent[ by 2025. Outlined in the action plan are nine voluntary global targets that address key NCD risk factors, including tobacco use, salt intake, physical inactivity, high blood pressure and the harmful use of alcohol," the organization stated.
