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Away from Corona, the WHO expressed concern that the annual number of deaths from noncommunicable diseases will increase to about 77 million per year by the middle of this century – almost 90 percent more than in 2019. Even before 2019, the WHO recorded significant increases in fatal heart, respiratory and cancer diseases. This trend was mainly driven by the increase in world population and life expectancy. However, the likelihood of dying from such diseases has decreased for people around the world in recent decades, the WHO emphasizes.