Global Goal: Reduce Premature Deaths

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.”