26 Oct 2017

More  than 36 million people  die annually from Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and over 90 per cent of these premature deaths from NCDs occur in low and middle income countries, says Minister of Health and Wellness, Ms Dorcas Makgato.

Officially opening the first NCDs conference organised by the public health medicine unit at the University of Botswana in collaboration with the NCD programme at her ministry, Ms  Makgato said most premature deaths were linked to common lifestyle risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol.

“In Botswana, the trends in NCDs morbidity and mortality are no different from the global picture. NCD cases are significantly rising and deaths due to NCDs far exceed those due to TB, malaria and HIV combined,” she said.

She indicated that according to a 2014 national survey (STEPS survey) to assess the burden of NCD risk factors in Botswana, 31 per cent of Batswana are overweight, 18 per cent smoke and 20 per cent do not engage in enough physical activity.

“And I am pretty sure that the statistics have increased since then,” she said.

Ms Makgato said in an effort to address the burden of NCDs worldwide, international organisations such as the World Health Assembly have endorsed the WHO global action plan for the prevention and control of NCDs 2013-2020.

“This global action plan offered a road map and policy options for member states and other organisations, and aimed at attaining nine voluntary global targets, including that of 25 per cent relative reduction in premature death from NCDs by 2025,” she said.

She noted that the 2030 agenda for sustainable development goals adopted at the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development in 2015, recognised NCDs as a major challenge for sustainable development.

“As part of this agenda, heads of state and government committed to develop national responses to the overall implementation of the agenda, including reducing by one third premature mortality from NCDs,” said Ms Makgato.

She said her ministry continued to do what is best to ensure efficient response towards the control of non-communicable diseases.

 In collaboration with WHO, she said the ministry had finalised the multisectoral national NCD strategy (2017-2022) which would consolidate and focus country efforts in mitigating the burden of NCD in Botswana.

She indicated that the strategy would give equal opportunity to all players, but more emphasis on building sustainable community response mechanism in fighting NCD risk factors.

“This will also focus on our ability to restore quality of life to those affected through provision of evidence based care and to put us on track as a nation to achieve WHO global targets including the 2030 sustainable development goals,” she said.

She further said NCD risk factors were lifestyle choices and it was up to each and every ‘one of us to do our part to change the way we live so that we can live longer and happier lives’.

The NCD conference, which  was held from October 24-26 at the University of Botswana, brought together 200 local and international scholars and policy makers.

The theme of the conference was NCDs epidemic, a threat to sustainable development.

Some of the objectives of the conference were to discuss the epidemiology of NCDs, to highlight the advances and trends in prevention and control of NCDs, to stimulate discussions on breaking barriers posed by NCDs in achieving SDGs by 2030 and to build and strengthen multi-sectoral partnerships in combating NCDs. ENDS