By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – World health agency on Tuesday warned in a medical update that countries across Europe and Central Asia have a major problem with “stagnating” healthcare systems.
According to the WHO 76,000 children in the region die before their fifth birthday every year.
In addition, non-communicable diseases claim the lives one in six people before they’re 70.
WHO latest European Health Report showed that under-five mortality ranged from 1.5 to 40.4 deaths per 1,000 live births across 53 countries in the region.
The top causes of death include pre-term birth complications, birth asphyxia and congenital heart anomalies.
Despite much progress in tackling non-communicable diseases across Europe and Central Asia, conditions such as heart and lung disease, stroke and diabetes remain by far the biggest killers, the agency said.
WHO noted that at least 10 countries have achieved a 25 per cent reduction in premature mortality from these four non-communicable diseases.
It added that 1 in 6 people still die before they reach their 70th birthday from cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease.
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