Global Health NOW: WHO’s Different Calculus on NCDs: Saving Lives…and Money
“…40 million NCD deaths each year is a massive tragedy, but repeatedly citing mortality data doesn’t seem to resonate with government leaders. A new WHO report on NCDs released [in Geneva on Sunday] tries a different calculus. The title isn’t subtle: ‘Saving lives, spending less: a strategic response to noncommunicable diseases.’ The report, produced with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, argues that strategies requiring the 78 low- and middle-income countries spend just an additional $1.27 per year per person would save 8.2 million lives by 2030. And if that data point doesn’t capture finance ministers’ attention, the report goes one step further: … each $1 invested in WHO ‘Best Buys’ for reducing NCDs would yield a return of $7 by 2030…” (Simpson, 5/21).