UN chief calls for action to reduce deaths from noncommunicable diseases

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.