UN/Zambia Partiners to Fight NCDs

LUSAKA-The United Nations has challenged its member states including Zambia to heighten efforts in the fight against Non Communicable Diseases reported to be on the rise world over. NCDs are capable of decreasing the labour force, reducing productivity and ultimately reducing economic growth, the UN said.

This was revealed during the Joint UN Interagency Taskforce on the prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases to the Republic of Zambia from 4^th to 8^th December, 2016.

Taskforce head, Dr. Nick Banatvala, who is also leading the Secretariat of the UN Interagency Taskforce on NCDs at the World Health Organization-WHO Headquarters in Geneva has challenged Zambians to adopt healthy lifestyles in order to prevent NCDs.

Dr. Banatvala said that Zambians can prevent NCDs by engaging in regular physical exercises and improving their nutrition. He adds that child obesity is also on the increase in Zambia which has the potential to eventually lead to more cases of adult obesity if not controlled.

Meanwhile, WHO Country Representative Jacob Mufunda told journalists during a Joint UN Interagency brief in Lusaka that Zambia is hit by four major NCDs which are cardiovascular diseases including heart diseases and strokes, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.  

Dr. Mufunda further calls for a multi-sectoral approach in this battle adding that NCDs are mostly socially determined.

It is reported that over 38 million people die from NCDs each year, including 16 million people who die prematurely before their 70^th birthday. Most premature NCD deaths are from four main behavioural risk factors which are tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity and unhealthy diets.

Government, through the Ministry of Health, recently launched the National Health Week with emphasis on disease prevention in the bid to drive to the Ministry of Health vision “A Nation of Healthy and Productive People”