UN chief calls for action to reduce deaths from noncommunicable diseases

26/9/2025 7:54

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for global action to reduce deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and to promote mental health and well-being.



The world is not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target of a one-third reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2030, according to the secretary-general's speech at a high-level meeting on NCDs read out by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.



The costs are immense -- in human suffering and life expectancy, but also in lost productivity, strained health systems and deepening inequality, he said.



Every two seconds, someone under the age of 70 dies from a noncommunicable disease. In the past year alone, over 43 million lives of all ages were lost to NCDs, the largest cause of global deaths. Mental health conditions affect over 1 billion people worldwide, and suicide remains among the leading causes of death for young people. Some 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, he noted.