Armenia is characterized as a country with a high level of noncommunicable diseases, said Amenian Deputy Minister Lena Nanushyan Monday.

According to the World Health Organization, Armenia ranks first in the region in terms of the number of early deaths among the population, she noted addinf that the mortality rate among the population due to noncommunicable diseases is 80%.

She noted that the high level of smoking among the population resulted in such statistics.

According to the UN and WHO, Armenia’s economic losses reach AMD 362.7 billion per year, which is equal to 6.5% of the country's GDP for 2017, she added.