Summary

McKinsey analyzed the impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on socio-economic development. According to the firm, NCDs are responsible for 76% of all deaths globally, and their share continues to rise—on average by 1.3% annually between 2020 and 2029. One of the key public health challenges is the growing prevalence of mental health disorders, which collectively account for the loss of 290 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).* Cognitive and behavioral disorders reduce labor productivity and lead to increased public healthcare expenditures. Currently, only about 2% of total government health spending worldwide is allocated to mental health, according to McKinsey. The global mental health funding gap is estimated at $200–350 billion. At the same time, such investments yield high economic returns: every dollar invested is estimated to generate a $5–6 increase in global GDP. The DALY metric was developed by Harvard University and is used by the World Health Organization (WHO). It represents the number of healthy life years lost due to premature death or disability.