A new Lancet Commission launched at the World Health Summit in Berlin urges governments to treat connected economic, environmental and security risks together rather than tackling one disease at a time.

BulletsIn

• The Lancet Commission, launched at the World Health Summit in Berlin, identified 17 interlinked threats that could shape human health up to 2100.
• Thirty-seven experts assessed hundreds of risks across 204 countries and territories.
• A threat counts as catastrophic if it could cause at least 1 billion disability-adjusted life years by 2100.
• The 17 threats include nuclear conflict and malicious use of AI, plus climate change, air pollution, antimicrobial resistance and childhood malnutrition.
• The list also covers conventional conflict, falling health aid, alcohol, high blood pressure, income inequality, low education, natural pandemics, obesity, poor mental health, smoking and unhealthy ageing.
• Tackling high body-mass index, poor diet and inactivity could avert 23.1 billion DALYs, the largest avertable burden identified.
• Better access to education could prevent 16.1 billion DALYs, and the rich–poor income gap carries a burden equal to 25 COVID-19 pandemics.
• Deep cuts in health aid could cost 1.5 billion DALYs, about 70% of them in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Meeting climate targets would save at least 1.89 billion DALYs, a figure the Commission calls conservative.
• High-income countries face mainly non-communicable losses such as obesity and poor mental health, while low-income regions face malnutrition and loss of aid.
• India faces a double burden of persistent undernutrition and rising obesity, hypertension and air pollution, and is a hotspot for antimicrobial resistance.

Tags: LancetCommission, GlobalHealth, AntimicrobialResistance