PTI/Financial Express: Investment in NCD control leads to improvement in health, economy, says WHO report
“A new WHO report shows that the world’s poorest countries can gain $350 billion by 2030 by scaling up investments in preventing and treating chronic diseases like cancer and heart ailments, which will save more than eight million lives. The report, titled ‘Saving lives, Spending Less: a Strategic Response to NCDs,’ which was released [Wednesday], reveals for the first time the needs and returns on investment of WHO’s cost-effective and feasible ‘best buy’ policies to protect people from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the leading causes of ill health and death…” (5/17).

Xinhua News: Over 8 mln lives could be saved by noncommunicable disease control: WHO
“…The report indicated that taking effective measures to prevent and control NCDs costs just an additional $1.27 per person per year in low- and lower-middle-income countries. The health gains from this investment will, in turn, generate 350 billion dollars through averted health costs and increased productivity by 2030, and save 8.2 million lives during the same period. … [T]he WHO suggests increasing taxes on tobacco and alcohol, reducing salt intake through the reformulation of food products, administering drug therapy and counseling for people who have had a heart attack or stroke, vaccinating girls aged nine to 13 years against human papillomavirus, and screening women aged 30 to 49 years for cervical cancer…” (5/17).