The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that almost 1 billion people face mental health conditions, calling on governments to take decisive steps towards addressing them.
The Director General of the Organisation, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, raised the alarm ahead of the High-Level Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health slated for September 25.
He warned that failure to address the health conditions would cost millions of lives and strain economies. “Non-communicable diseases include 7 of the world’s top 10 causes of death.
In addition, almost 1 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.
“In addition, more than one billion people face mental health conditions, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people,” he said.
According to him, beyond the personal tragedies, the global toll of NCDs and mental health conditions carries enormous social and economic costs.
“Apart from cutting lives short and robbing families of their loved ones, these deaths also incur huge costs for health systems and economies,” Dr Tedros noted.