The World Health Organization says deaths from non-communicable disease are on the rise. The WHO's first report on the global status of non-communicable diseases says cardiovascular disease is the top killer, claiming 17 million lives annually, followed by cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes. It says nearly 80 per cent of deaths from these diseases occur in low and middle income countries. The report was released ahead of this week's WHO two-day forum on healthy lifestyles and non-communicable disease control, which starts in Moscow on Thursday. The Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will join delegates from 160 WHO member states, including the United States and Germany, to review ways to make healthy lifestyles popular, and stiffen regulations on alcohol and tobacco. The Director General of WHO Margaret Chan says non-communicable diseases cost economies billions of dollars and push many victims below the poverty line.