Project Description

Every year, 40 million people around the world die from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including heart and respiratory ailments, diabetes, and cancer. Major NCD risk factors, such as tobacco smoking, harmful alcohol use, and obesity are increasing worldwide, including among adolescents. We conducted an economic analysis to determine the potential costs and return on investment for the implementation of interventions for adolescent NCD risk reduction globally. Our findings show that full implementation of all six of the evidence-based interventions we reviewed would reduce premature mortality among today’s adolescents by almost 10 percent. This translates into 21 million avoided premature deaths from NCDs over the next 50 years and about US$400 billion in cumulative economic benefits. By intervening now and implementing these policies, low and middle-income countries can significantly reduce premature mortality from NCDs at reasonable costs, contributing to their country’s productivity and longevity.

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