As we count down to the Fourth High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of NCDs (noncommunicable diseases) in September 2025, the latest data from WHO shows that Denmark, Estonia, Norway and Sweden have succeeded in reducing premature mortality from NCDs, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illnesses. But what are the NCD-focused policies that have made this progress possible? There is no silver bullet that suits every country, but there are several shared policy actions that can help protect people’s health.
The European Union-funded projects JA-PreventNCD (Joint Action Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases) and JACARDI (Joint action cardiovascular diseases and diabetes), along with WHO/Europe, are collaborating to identify the characteristics of countries that effectively address NCD threats and strengthen their monitoring systems. On 10 September 2024, the organizations held a joint event "Strengthening NCD monitoring systems in the EU: A collaborative approach" that presented new data on countries’ progress in achieving regional and global targets to tackle NCDs.
“The countries that use evidence-based practices and try to adapt them to their concrete needs can achieve significant progress. Knowledge and data are crucial in this context. When policy-makers know the NCD trajectory of their country, and their weak points and strong sides, they can take focused actions for improvement,” said Dr Knut-Inge Klepp, Scientific Coordinator of JA-PreventNCD, one of the speakers at the event. The event’s sessions aimed to foster dialogue on NCD prevention and to create a platform for transparency and collaboration among Member States of the WHO European Region.
Investing in data can help prevent the biggest health threat
NCDs are the biggest health threat for all countries of the Region. Together, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illnesses account for 90% of deaths and 85% of disability. In other words, 8.2 million deaths here are caused by NCDs every year. 2.3 million of them are premature, which means that they occur before the age of 70 years.
But there is hope. According to WHO data, evidence-based policy actions, including WHO-recommended time- and cost-effective “Quick buys”, can effectively prevent NCD-related mortality and morbidity.
NCD prevention means avoiding the occurrence of a disease, which means enabling and empowering people to make healthier choices and protecting them from exposure to NCD risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol use, insufficient physical activity, or unhealthy diets.
"The NCD harm in the WHO European Region is enormous and is being felt at all levels of our society – from the surge of childhood obesity to the prevalence of heart attacks and strokes to the influence of health-harming industries undermining NCD-related policies. Robust data and surveillance systems are crucial for identifying and addressing these risks. By monitoring progress at the country and regional levels, we can tailor our strategies to the unique challenges faced by each nation,” explains Dr Gauden Galea, Strategic Adviser to the WHO Regional Director for Europe.
Denmark, Estonia, Norway and Sweden are among the countries of the Region that succeeded in reducing premature mortality from NCDs. WHO/Europe is currently undertaking an in-depth analysis of characteristics or patterns associated with those reductions.
“The path forward requires more than just commitment. By leveraging our collective expertise, we can turn data into actionable insights, transform policies into practices, and make our vision a reality. Advancing NCD monitoring is also about advancing justice and equity in health, urging every Member State and community to commit to a future where everyone has the opportunity to live their healthiest life possible,” said Dr Benedetta Armocida, Coordinator of JACARDI.
All countries have an opportunity to tackle NCDs
WHO has introduced several “Quick buy” policy actions aimed at accelerating countries’ progress towards reaching the NCD-related goals of the WHO European Programme of Work and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including target 3.4, which is a one-third reduction in premature NCD mortality by 2030 from 2010 levels.
Among the “Quick buys”, there are 2 actions that are most effective in reducing the NCD burden across the entire Region:
- increasing taxes and pricing on tobacco products, alcohol, and unhealthy foods (high in transfats, salt and sugar); and
- banning the advertising and sponsorship (on all platforms including social media) of tobacco products, alcohol, and unhealthy foods (high in transfats, salt and sugar).
These policy levers can help countries of the Region to reduce NCDs and create living environments where unhealthy choices are not the norm and the healthy choices are easier – with better health for all people.