The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised alarm that almost one billion people worldwide are living with mental health conditions, urging governments to take decisive steps to address the growing crisis.
WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, sounded the warning ahead of the High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) and Mental Health scheduled for September 25. He warned that failure to act would cost millions of lives and place immense strain on national economies.
“Non-communicable diseases include seven of the world’s top 10 causes of death. In addition, almost one billion people face mental health conditions. Countries that act decisively to beat NCDs will save millions of lives, protect families, cut health costs and unlock economic growth,” Ghebreyesus said.
He noted that beyond the personal tragedies, the global toll of NCDs and mental health conditions carries enormous social and economic consequences. “Apart from cutting lives short and robbing families of their loved ones, these deaths also incur huge costs for health systems and economies,” he added.
According to WHO, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people and the fourth leading cause of death among those aged 15–29 globally, with 73 per cent of cases occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
The WHO chief disclosed that countries have been negotiating a political declaration over the past year, which will be finalised at the UN General Assembly meeting.
