Brasilia, March 26, 2025 (PAHO) - While premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes and cancers, has dropped in the Americas over the past decade, from 15.2% in 2010 to 14% in 2021, just five countries of the Region are on track to reach the global target of a 25% reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2025 (known as the 25x25 target).
During the Regional Meeting on Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control, held from 24-26 March in Brasilia, Brazil, PAHO Director, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, called on countries to urgently address the key drivers of mortality due to NCDs, which continue to take around 6 million lives each year in the Americas.
“Over 240 million people in the Americas are living with NCDs and require continuous treatment, most of which can be provided through primary health care,” the PAHO Director said. “However, many people do not receive adequate care or succumb to their illness due to poor management and control.”
“The economic dimensions of NCDs are also staggering,” Dr Barbosa added, highlighting that while further studies are needed to determine the regional impact, current projections show that in ten countries of South America, NCDs and mental health conditions are expected to result in combined economic losses totaling US$7.3 trillion by 2050, equivalent to 4% of the sub-region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“The good news is that we have the knowledge and tools to prevent and control NCDs,” Dr. Barbosa said, including the NCD ‘”best buys” – cost-effective policies and health interventions such as raising taxes on tobacco and alcohol; implementing front-of-package food labeling; offering vaccination against Human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer, to girls under the age of 15; and providing treatment for hypertension and diabetes, among others.
“Many of these interventions are already being implemented in our countries but we must urgently scale up and accelerate their implementation and provide quality health care to all of those affected,” he added.
The meeting, which convened PAHO experts, heads of national NCD programs and civil society, focused on key priorities for accelerating progress towards 25x25 in advance of the 4th United Nations High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September 2025. These include:
- Increasing investment and strengthening leadership in NCD prevention, policies to address risk factors, and health services
- Expanding access to primary health care to improve diagnosis, treatment and coverage
- Promoting policy coherence across government sectors beyond health, including establishing multisectoral NCD commissions to address the issue holistically.
Better Care for NCDs
PAHO continues to work with countries of the Americas to prevent and address NCDs, which are the number one cause of death and disability, both in the Region and globally
To accelerate this work, in 2023 the PAHO Director launched the Better Care for NCDs initiative, which aims to expand equitable access of integrated and comprehensive NCD services within primary health care in the Americas.
“I encourage you to join forces with PAHO to implement this important initiative,” Dr. Barbosa concluded. “Working collaboratively, we can make significant strides to achieve the NCD targets and improve the health and wellbeing of the people of the Americas.”
