Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention and Cure: Work Performance and Gender Disparities in Mortality Risk

IntroductionNoncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are associated with a less healthy workforce, higher medical expenditures, and worse on-the-job performance. The allocation of limited health resources between prevention and treatment is therefore critical, as it could influence both NCDs-related mortality risk and on-the-job productivity.MethodsUsing panel data from 38 OECD countries over the period 2000 to 2023, this study applies the system generalized method of moments (GMM) to examine (a) the nexus of prevention-cure-NCDs death probability, and (b) the possible roles of preventive and curative health services on the path of saving the economy's production loss attributable to the risk of NCDs death for the population aged 30 to 70.ResultsIntegrating preventive and curative health services is associated with improvements in health outcomes and economic productivity. If prevention is maintained at the current level (0.27% of GDP) and curative health spending is continually allocated at a GDP ratio of 10.2%, the probability of dying from NCDs could decrease from the current 13.94% to 13.84%. Annual earnings per worker are estimated to increase from USD 49,036.52 to USD 49,515.49, while GDP per worker is projected to rise from USD 101,727.7 to USD 103,980.ConclusionsGender disparities in NCDs mortality risk persist. The findings underscore the importance of aligning investments in both preventive and curative health interventions to address the burden of noncommunicable diseases.