Every year in China more than 3 million people die prematurely from chronic non-communicable diseases, according to a new report from The World Health Organization, which says that "urgent government action" is needed.

"This new report is a dramatic wake-up call," Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO's representative in China, said in the statement. "There is an urgent need for strong action now - to stop millions of Chinese men and women dying in their most productive years from diseases that can be prevented."

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Schwartländer  said this can be accomplished by simply changing unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as a nutrient-poor diet, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle that does not include enough physical activity."

The report states that most premature non-communicable disease (NCD) deaths, such as lung cancer, stroke, heart disease and diabetes, are preventable. It also said that more than 50 percent of men in China are smokers;  less than 20 percent of China's adolescents do not participate in physical activity; and nearly 20 percent of all adults have high blood pressure.

The WHO says that premature NCD deaths can be significantly reduced through government policies reducing tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, and delivering universal health care.

The organization cited Brazil's successful efforts to curb NCD deaths. In Brazil the NCD mortality rate is falling at nearly 2 percent every year thanks in part to the country's expansion of primary health care.

According to Reuters, The World Bank said in 2011 that the economic benefit of reducing cardiovascular diseases by one percent per year from 2010-2040 in China could generate more than $10.7 trillion.

However, the problem of NCD deaths is not exclusive to China. According to the WHO report,  16 million people die below the age of 70 worldwide each year from

 heart and lung diseases, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

"The global community has the chance to change the course of the NCD epidemic," said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan in a statement. "By investing just $1 to $3 per person per year, countries can dramatically reduce illness and death from NCDs.

"In 2015, every country needs to set national targets and implement cost-effective actions. If they do not, millions of lives will continue to be lost too soon."

TagsWHO: 3 million Chinese Die Prematurely Every Year from Chronic Disease, Bernhard Schwartländer, Dr. Margaret Chan