Countries implementing about half of WHO recommendations

About half of the recommendations suggested by the World Health Organization to reduce chronic disease are put into practice, according to a new study.

Implementation is slowly improving, yet alcohol and tobacco policies are the least widely practiced, researchers report in The Lancet Global Health.

“It’s a matter of holding countries accountable for their international commitments and speaking truth to power when they fail to take action,” said Dr. Luke Allen of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, who led the research.

Non-communicable diseases, like cancer and heart disease, account for 73% of deaths globally, the researchers note. In 2015, 193 countries committed to reducing these deaths by one third, by 2030, through 18 policies to improve healthcare provision as well as public health through nutrition, physical activity, tobacco use and alcohol use.

“We need to understand which policies are being systematically overlooked and which particular groups of countries may require additional support so that we can help to protect people from these conditions,” Allen told Reuters Health by email.

The researchers analyzed WHO progress monitor reports from 2015 and 2017 to calculate implementation scores for 151 countries for the 18 policies.

In 2017, the average policy implementation score was 49%. Costa Rica and Iran had top scores for implementing 86% of the recommendations. Scores were lowest in Haiti and South Sudan, with 5.5% of the policies implemented. Overall, scores rose in 109 countries between 2015 and 2017 and dropped in 32 countries.

In general, implementation increased for all 18 policies except for mass-media campaigns around physical activity and bans on alcohol advertising. The most commonly implemented policies were graphic warnings on tobacco packaging, disease risk-factor surveys and national clinical guidelines. Least-implemented policies included tobacco taxation, anti-tobacco mass-media campaigns and provision of cardiovascular therapies.

Scores tended to be highest in wealthy countries that invest in healthcare and education, the authors note. Countries in Europe and central Asia, for instance, landed in the top 20 more often. Their weaknesses often involved market-related changes, such as failure to reduce marketing around tobacco and alcohol.

Among the bottom 20 countries, 17 were in sub-Saharan Africa, and none of the bottom countries scored points for interventions around fats, child food marketing or heart therapies. This highlights an area where financial and technical support could be provided, the study authors write.

Allen said a large number of low-income countries and former Soviet Union states landed at the top of the list.

“You wouldn’t naturally think of Iran, Costa Rica, Moldova and Estonia as offering the highest standards of health policies to their populations, but it goes to show that it isn’t actually that expensive – just a matter of political will – to prioritize health,” he said. “All 151 countries have repeatedly committed and publicly endorsed the full list of policy options, yet no country has actually implemented all of them.”

Future studies should look at the effects of the policies that are implemented, said Robert Beaglehole of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, who wasn’t involved in the analysis.

“Of course, ‘implementation’ is self-described and says nothing about impact at the population level,” he noted in an email.

Health officials could help countries with lower scores identify and focus on a smaller number of priority policies, he added.

“Perhaps countries are being asked to do too many things at once,” Beaglehole said. “Countries might be better off if they focused on three or four high priorities with the greatest chance of actually improving population health.”

About half of the recommendations suggested by the World Health Organization to reduce chronic disease are put into practice, according to a new study.

Implementation . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • Where do foreigners come from and where do they live in MexicoMexico City Protest on July 5 Challenges Gentrification and Airbnb’s Impact on Housing Residents of Roma and Condesa will gather at Parque México on July 5 to protest gentrification, rising rents, and Airbnb’s effect on local housing. This Saturday, July 5, Mexico City will witness its first organized citizen protest against gentrification—a peaceful but urgent gathering taking place at 3:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh Forum in Parque México,…
  • raw-sewage-playa-los-muertos-puerto-vallartaMore Raw Sewage Dumping at Playa Los Muertos Appear to Come From Local Hotel Business owners in Puerto Vallarta are demanding action after raw sewage was discovered leaking onto Playa Los Muertos, raising public health and tourism concerns. A raw sewage leak at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta has sparked outrage among local tourist service providers and business owners, who say the contamination is driving away visitors and…
  • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
  • puerto vallarta lettersPuerto Vallarta needs a new image to create meaningful reasons for travelers to visit Business leaders at Jalisco Tourism Secretariat forums stressed the need for renewing Puerto Vallarta image and diversifying attractions to appeal to national and international markets. Local business leaders and tourism specialists agreed this week that Puerto Vallarta needs a fresh look and a broader range of attractions to compete at home and abroad. In a…
  • protests3Mexico City Protests: There is a fine line between anti-gentrification and xenophobia The line between anti-gentrification and racism is clear if you choose to see it: genuine activism targets policy and practice, not nationality or ethnicity. I have lived in Mexico for two decades, and I have never witnessed the level of anti-American sentiment that exists today. All of it is tied to the buzzword "gentrification," a…
  • José Luis Velázquez RodríguezSEAPAL Official Reported Missing in Puerto Vallarta Authorities in Puerto Vallarta have launched a search for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, SEAPAL's head of transparency, who has been missing since June 30. Family and officials are urging the public to report any information. Local authorities and civil protection units have launched a search operation for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, head of the Transparency…
  • puerto-vallarta-police-chase-bahia-de-banderasPuerto Vallarta police chase ends in deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas A Puerto Vallarta police chase along Highway 200 ended in a deadly collision in Bahía de Banderas, leaving two people dead. A high-speed chase that began in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and ended in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, left at least two people dead and raised new questions about police engagement and road safety in the…
  • mexico city real estateGentrification in Mexico City is not the reason for the high cost of housing City housing shortage, not gentrification, drives prices skyward as planning lags behind demand and foreigner influence remains minimal. High real estate costs in Mexico City stem from a deep and persistent housing shortage—exacerbated by land constraints, tangled regulations and speculative investment—rather than by the presence of foreign residents. Despite headlines blaming “gentrification,” foreign-born residents make…
  • protestProtest graffiti and smashed windows mars anti-gentrification rally in Mexico City Residents and activists joined an anti-gentrification rally in Mexico Park, but the anti-gentrification rally Mexico Park turned destructive as masked youths defaced local shops and broke windows. A rally against gentrification held yesterday in Mexico City’s Parque México drew residents from Juárez, Roma, Condesa and Hipódromo alongside local activists. Organizers billed it as the city’s…
  • no-damage-jalisco-hurricane-flossieNo Damage Reported in Jalisco as Hurricane Flossie Moves Away While Mexico's Weather Service predicted heavy rains, Hurricane Flossie causes no damage along Jalisco’s coast. The Category 3 storm brings light rain and moderate waves as it moves away from the region. The coasts of Jalisco remain calm and largely unaffected following the passage of Hurricane Flossie, a powerful Category 3 storm that is now…
Scroll to Top