As Member States (MS) prepare for the upcoming fourth high-level meeting of the United Nations (UN) on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the UN Secretary-General has released an assessment of global progress since 2018. WHO Europe also recently published the European Health Report 2024, its flagship publication released every three years. These two reports provide a comprehensive overview of the status of health in the European region and the progress made towards the prevention and control of NCDs globally.
What are we working towards?
The global community has long recognised the need for decisive action against NCDs, including diabetes. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4 calls for a one-third reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2030. The Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly also saw the adoption of five global diabetes targets for 2030 including:
- 80% of people living with diabetes are diagnosed;
- 80% have good control of glycaemia;
- 80% of people with diagnosed diabetes have good control of blood pressure;
- 60% of people with diabetes of 40 years or older receive statins; and
- 100% of people with type 1 diabetes have access to affordable insulin and blood glucose self-monitoring
The evidence is clear – progress has stalled
With 2030 fast approaching, the high-level meeting comes at a crucial time to assess progress and take corrective action. NCDs remain the leading cause of death, morbidity and disability worldwide. Concerningly, the European Health Report 2024 highlights the fact that the prevalence of both obesity, a major risk factor of type 2 diabetes, and diabetes itself is increasing in the region. In 2019, NCDs accounted for 87% of deaths among people aged between 30-70 years in Europe. Despite this, the UN’s NCD progress report shows that only 19 out of 194 countries and territories are on track to meet SDG target 3.4. In the WHO European region, just 10 MS have reached a 25% reduction in premature mortality attributed to the four major NCDs – diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and respiratory disease. Diabetes accounts for 1.7% of premature mortality in the region and is among the top 10 causes of death. However, direct diabetes mortality does not reflect the impact of diabetes, which is the root cause of many other NCDs such as CVD and kidney disease. Therefore, the overall impact of diabetes on premature mortality is much higher than the reported 1.7% from direct mortality.
While some countries such as Spain and France are making strides towards meeting SDG target 3.4, they remain the exception. The European Health Report 2024 highlights that the implementation of policies to prevent and control NCDs stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas the UN report indicates progress toward the targets began to slow down in 2015, well before the COVID-19 pandemic. Progress is insufficient and urgent action is needed to achieve targets by 2030.
Member States must accelerate progress
The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a range of evidence-based tools to support MS in making progress towards the targets. These include implementation roadmaps, cost-effective policy options and ‘best buys’, and various technical packages on prevention, management and surveillance. Insufficient progress, despite the availability of effective strategies and policies, indicates an implementation gap.
Ahead of the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs, IDF Europe calls on MS to make health a priority and accelerate progress on NCDs. Without stronger action, the burden of NCDs will continue to rise, harming individuals and increasing the strain on our health systems and economies. To lower the risk of NCDs such as diabetes and improve the lives of citizens, MS must:
- enhance governance and increase sustainable health financing, ensuring full implementation of WHO ‘best buy’ policies
- tackle the structural and systemic drivers of ill health and create health-promoting environments
- invest in primary healthcare and health system resilience
- strengthen data and surveillance
