CEO Perspective

Every year, 41 million people die from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, lung disease and cancer. These account for seven out of every 10 deaths worldwide, with deeply inequitable impact—more than 80% occur in countries with high levels of poverty.

2020 was a momentous year for the world and for Vital Strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted lives, communities and institutions worldwide, and public health took center stage. A long-overdue reckoning on racial justice in the United States prompted global focus on this critical issue, and COVID-19 laid bare the gaps in equity across our societies. We responded with innovation, resilience and renewed commitment.

Urbanization has become a determinant for health in its own right. Cities are places where health can be produced or compromised, and city leaders have shown that they can lead the way by creating systems that promote and protect health. This was already happening before the pandemic, and city leaders have stepped up to respond to COVID-19's impact on their people.

Health is inextricably linked to the people and institutions that shape our everyday lives—from the schools our children attend, to the government departments that manage the streets we use, to the businesses that shape the advertising that surrounds us. And policy is the best tool we have to empower people by making the healthy choice the easy choice.