The Fourth High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing is held at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 25, 2025. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for global action to reduce deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and to promote mental health and well-being. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for global action to reduce deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and to promote mental health and well-being.

The world is not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target of a one-third reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2030, according to the secretary-general's speech at a high-level meeting on NCDs read out by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

The costs are immense -- in human suffering and life expectancy, but also in lost productivity, strained health systems and deepening inequality, he said.

Every two seconds, someone under the age of 70 dies from a noncommunicable disease. In the past year alone, over 43 million lives of all ages were lost to NCDs, the largest cause of global deaths. Mental health conditions affect over 1 billion people worldwide, and suicide remains among the leading causes of death for young people. Some 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, he noted.

"These figures are not only statistics. They represent lives shortened, livelihoods taken away, and communities that are held back. They remind us that NCDs and mental health conditions are among the greatest public health and development challenges of our time," he said.

Guterres asked nations to strengthen primary health care as the foundation of universal health coverage; to address the social, economic and environmental determinants -- and the market forces -- that shape how people live; to elevate mental health and psychosocial care in humanitarian settings; to ensure sustainable financing; to place people living with NCDs and mental health conditions at the center of these efforts; and to keep promises made.

"Let us pledge to commit to prevention, to equity, and accelerated action. Together, we can transform lives, safeguard livelihoods, and deliver on our promise of health and well-being for all," said Guterres. ■

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (L, Front) speaks during the Fourth High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 25, 2025. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for global action to reduce deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and to promote mental health and well-being. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

The Fourth High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing is held at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 25, 2025. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for global action to reduce deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and to promote mental health and well-being. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

IOC President Kirsty Coventry (R, Front) speaks during the Fourth High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 25, 2025. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for global action to reduce deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and to promote mental health and well-being. (Xinhua/Li Rui)