Non-communicable diseases account for half of the deaths
Non-communicable diseases contribute 23 percent to the loss of all disability adjusted life years
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KATHMANDU, NOV 09 - Did you know non-communicable diseases account for almost half the number of deaths in the country?
Forty-two percent deaths are caused by cancer, heart diseases, chronic and respiratory diseases, while only seven percent are injury related deaths and communicable disease cause 51 percent deaths, according to a survey carried out in 2007/08 by the Ministry of Health and Population and Society for Local Integrated Development-Nepal (SOLID-Nepal) with technical and financial support from World Health Organisation.
The study also stated that non-communicable diseases contribute 23 percent to the loss of all disability adjusted life years, meaning people have to live as physically disabled in old age due to different diseases.
Doctors and the study advise control of tobacco consumption, more physically activity, balanced diet and vegetable and fruits intake, especially for city dwellers, who are less physically active than villagers.
Though no study has been conducted so far on the prevalence and death rate due to diabetes in Nepal, a recently conducted ‘Step wise Non- Communicable Diseases Risk Factor Survey’ estimates that more than one in 10 Nepalis have diabetes.
The survey was carried out in 2007/08 applying a multistage stratified sampling strategy among 4,328 individuals accross the country, in the15 to 64 age group by the Ministry of Health and Population and Society for Local Integrated Development-Nepal (SOLID-Nepal) in technical and financial support from World Health Organisation, that states that tobacco use, alcohol consumption, low intake of fruits and vegetables as well as physical inactivity are the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases.
The survery report also stated that 37 percent consume tobacco products, 28.5 percent drink alcohol and 60.5 percent men and 63.5 percent women do not take recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, 7 percent of them are overweight and 24.5 percent of men and 18.2 percent of women have hypertension.
Releasing the survey report in Kathmandu on Sunday, Chief of the Health Sector Reform Unit at the Ministry of Health and population, Dr. Babu Ram Marasini said that non-communicable disease contribute to about half of the deaths in the country.
Agreeing that the government has not invested as much as it has done in relation to communicable diseases, Minister for Health Uma Kanta Chaudhary said the ministry is planning to develop and endorse non-communicable diseases prevention and control policy to address this issue and that the ministry will start also working to establish a surveillance system.
Posted on: 2009-11-09 11:29
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