World 'falling behind' on goal to cut chronic disease deathsCommuters walk to a train station at rush hour in Bangkok on Aug 20, 2020. LONDON: Only six high-income countries are doing enough to tackle deaths from chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, a global report said Friday, warning the coronavirus pandemic exposes the urgent need to combat underlying conditions. In its stocktake of global efforts to stop people dying prematurely from largely preventable and treatable non-communicable diseases, the report by groups including the World Health Organization said many countries were falling short. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) currently kill over 40 million people a year worldwide, making up seven out of ten deaths globally, the report said. Researchers noted that the relationship between non-communicable diseases and severe illness with Covid-19 highlights the "urgent need for governments to implement policies to prevent avoidable deaths from chronic diseases".

Source: Bangkok Post September 03, 2020 22:52 UTC