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Global Goal: Reduce Premature Deaths

United Nations sets forth initiative to reduce the number of premature deaths by 40% over the next two decades (2010-2030).

Meeting in September 2014, The United Nations General Assembly established 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2016-2030, among which the new health goal is to “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.”  Ole Norheim, from the University of Bergen (Norway), and colleagues call for this new health goal to be accompanied by a specific target to avoid in each country 40% of all premature deaths (of the deaths that would occur in the 2030 population of that country, if its 2010 death rates continued).  The 40% reduction from 2010 to 2030 in deaths before age 70 would involve reductions of two-thirds in the causes already being targeted by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals; and a one-third reduction in other causes of premature death, such as non-communicable diseases and injuries.  By “achieving the targeted 2030 disease-specific reductions of two-thirds or a third,” the study authors submit that: “these reductions avoid about 10 million of the 20 million deaths at ages 0-49 years that would be seen in 2030 at 2010 death rates, and about 17 million of the 41 million such deaths at ages 0-69 years. Such changes could be achievable by 2030, or soon afterwards, at least in areas free of war, other major effects of political disruption, or a major new epidemic.”

Norheim OF, Jha P, Admasu K, Godal T, Hum RJ, Kruk ME, Gomez-Dantes O, Mathers CD, Pan H, Sepúlveda J, Suraweera W, Verguet S, Woldemariam AT, Yamey G, Jamison DT, Peto R.  “Avoiding 40% of the premature deaths in each country, 2010-30: review of national mortality trends to help quantify the UN Sustainable Development Goal for health.”  Lancet. 2014 Sep 18. pii: S0140-6736(14)61591-9.

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