NCD kills 6 Solomon Islanders every day

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

AUKI

SIX people die every day due to non-communicable diseases (NCD), according to the country’s health ministry.

A report from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) on the NCD programme says cancer kills one person every day, type-two diabetes kills one person every 2nd day and stroke kills one every day.

It reads that heart problems kills one to two people every day and smoking kills one person every 2nd day.

According to the report [source: NRH], for 2018 – two to three people were amputated every week for NCD related diseases.

It stated that NCD is on the rise and the impact it has on the human resources and economy of the country is great.

National government has spent lots of money to treat patients with NCD in hospitals around the country. It records about $35,883 to treat a diabetes per admission

The report said in 2017, about 400 cases of diabetes were admitted at the (Medical Ward) NRH and it costed about $2million for their treatment.

It is projected that if caution is not taken, in the years to come, people will see more and more NCD cases in young people in their 20s.

The report, on the other hand, gives roadmaps in which people can abide by to avoid NCDs.

It stated that in order to manage NCD, it needs to reverse NCD risk behaviour, not to smoke, eat healthy diet, control weight, no alcohol, no betel nut, and adopt healthy settings.

Sustainability to reduce NCD involves preventions of NCDs risk factors. This is to strengthen public health policies, like the “No Tobacco Act 2010”.

The report stated that it requires partnership with communities, churches and stakeholders to implement package of essential NCDs interventions in the primary settings.

A major discovery was that inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables was a major risk factor for lifestyle disease and early death.

In the government level, multi-sectoral approach was paramount toward the implementation of the NCD strategic plan 2017- 2020.

The four years NCD strategic plan looked at healthy settings in preventing NCDs. That will be in workplace settings, schools settings and community settings.

The plan also to encourage healthy lifestyles which required providing practical support that creates environment to help people to change or make healthier choice.

These areas were on agriculture (farming), healthy settings, village settings (environment), price control (cheaper local garden foods), attention on supsup gardens and healthy cooking demonstrations.

The plan also advocated against smoking, alcohol, betel-nut and to support communal groups like churches to integrate with the settings.

The plan went to the extend of providing technical advice on NCD-PEN screenings in the settings.

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