With modern day advancements in medicine and technology, people assume that humanity is upping its game against disease. But the question still remains, What is the biggest health issue today? In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic that has the whole world on its toes, global health has systemic problems that are silent yet developmental. Mental health problems and chronic diseases are some of the complexities that this article covers. In addition, it highlights the health problem that requires immediate action.
Striking Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
Now that we are zeroing in on the largest health issue, let us take one last look at the players on our health chessboard, NCDs:
- Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and respiratory illness rank first on the list of problems which the World Health Organization has identified, accounting for 74% of global deaths. In addition to unhealthy meals, lack of exercise, and smoking, sedentary delinquency adds more weight to NCDs globally.
Mental Health Disorders
The pandemic of COVID-19 alone added about 970 million cases of anger and depression. Working on ways to attenuate feelings of disaffection, churn, and emotional pain has become increasingly vital for young people.
Infectious diseases
Other emerging viruses such as Zika and Ebola can also lead to pandemics. 4. Health Inequalities Access to healthcare is still unequal and low income communities suffer from higher rates of preventable diseases, malnutrition, and maternal mortality due systemic barriers that exist in society. 5. Climate Change The increase of the global warming is leading to an increase in wildfires and polluted air which results in food scarcity. This in turn is becoming a health risks due to increased infant malnutrition, respiratory illnesses, and displacement. --- ### The Silent Pandemic: Why Chronic Diseases Dominate From all points pursued above, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remains the most dangerous because they are the leading cause of death and disability. Here is the reason why: 1. Scale of Impact Cardiovascular diseases alone claim 17.9 million lives annually. Even more than infectious diseases combined. 537 million adults have diabetes, estimated to reach 783 million by 2045. These conditions can develop over a longer period of time. They are associated with changeable risks, having obesity, and consuming alcohol and tobacco. 2. Economic Burden These diseases has taken a toll on our economy with diagnosed NCDs. As a result, the global economy sustains a loss of $47 trillion a year in medical attention and loss of work. For example, managing diabetic patients accounts for 12% of the world’s health budget, which then should have been invested in more important areas. 3. Lifestyle-Driven Epidemic The increase of modern civilization also comes with an increase of unhealthy prepacked foods, which lead to the increase of non-communicable diseases. Over 1.9 billion adults and clinically and over 650 million are obese, which in fact has tripled since 1975.
The poor these days share the “double burden” of obesity and malnourishment, and these problems are not confined to rich countries.
Coexisting Mental Conditions- Comorbidity With Mental Health
A Chronic illness comes hand in hand with poor mental health. The risk for heart disease is increased by 64% in people suffering from depression, whereas, diabetics are at an increased risk of anxiety by 100%. This interdependence leads to a lowered quality of life and complicates treatment..
While being an unaddressed issue, poor mental health has the ability to amplify any issue that exists: a crisis.
Specific national health priorities are dominated by NCDs mortality. With that said, we cannot ignore the impact that mental health has:
According to WHO, depression will be the leading cause of disability worldwide by 2030.
The leading cause of death amongst young people and authorize groups are matters of suicide which claim about 700,000 lives annually.
Burnouts have proven to be extremely costly with the amount of productivity lost in the first world estimated at a staggering $1 trillion inflation-adjusted annually.
Mental illness isn’t an individual issue. It is rather a social motivator. Emotionally, mentally weak people are harmful to immune systems, chronic problems, and relationships. These harmful effects are majorly witnessed, but not treated due to stigma and lack of care being put into resources designed to help pregnant women. This builds a treatment gap of around 50% of possible patients needing help.
The Role of Inequity Health and Climate Change But Hopefully Less Gun Violence Will Change Priorities
Systematic inequities and poor management of government policies also have a negative effect on climate change.
- Inequity: A child born in sub-Sahara Africa has a 15 times higher risk of dying before age 5 compared to a child born in Europe.
Groups that have been marginalized tend to live in more polluted regions, have unsafe homes, and cannot access healthcare.
- Climate Risks: By 2050, climate change is predicted to cause an additional 250,000 deaths each year due to malnutrition, heatrelated issues, and malaria. Pollution also leads to seven million deaths every year.
These factors worsen the already complicated health risks and make mitigation more difficult.
The Big Problem? It's Everything
Looking for one “biggest” health problem makes us ignore the real issue, which is, the current health problems are all linked together. Poor mental health can worsen chronic illness. Climate change can worsen hunger. Living in poverty directly affects one's ability to take preventive measures. But if we have to pick one problem to tackle, it would be the non-communicable diseases owing to lifestyle choices and the environment, which is the biggest problem because of its death rate, economic cost, and ease of prevention.
Solutions: For Prevention And Equity And A Global Effort
To effectively manage these issues, we need to address it from different angles.
Preventive Healthcare
Use anti-smoking ads, sugar taxes, and building parks to promote exercise.
Increase provision of mental health evaluations and online consultations.
Policy Interventions
Governments should limit sales of ultra-processed foods and unhealthy diets while promoting clean energy.
Providing universal healthcare increases the chances of lowering inequalities in managing chronic diseases.
Community Empowerment
- Provide public members with information regarding nutrition, Managing stress, and illness Detection.
- Minimizing the poverty-disease cycle is possible by mitigating the impact of social determinants of health (i.e., education, housing).
- Global Solidarity
Stronger economies are obliged to assist their counterparts in low-income countries in constructing stronger health systems.
Pollution as well as excessive and unnecessary use of antibiotics should be dealt with on an international scale.
Conclusion: A Call for Action
Perhaps the most significant health issue today is: a combination of lifestyle-related issues, mental health disorders, and social inequalities, exacerbated by climate change. Although NCDs remain the most fatal, to solve this crisis fundamentally entails addressing its primary drivers of unhealthy lifestyles, environmental destruction, and social inequalities.
There is still hope. With commitment to global advocacy and cooperative policy initiatives, the pointer can be shifted to health promotion rather than illness response. The aim is not simply to extend life, rather to establish global conditions for optimal living.