71% of Global Deaths caused by Non-Communicable Diseases – Health Minister

...Says NCDs accounts for 29% deaths in Nigeria Seventy one percent of all deaths globally are caused by Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which account for losses of about $7 trillion dollars, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, has said. Professor Adewole also said that NCDs is higher in low middle income countries like Nigeria with an estimate of 20% deaths caused by NCDs. The Minister made this disclosure during a high level meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases Multi-Sectoral Action Plan with stakeholders in Abuja on Tuesday. While reiterating Federal Government commitment to combat the major NCDs in the country, Professor Adewole gave an overview of the NCDs Multi-Sectoral Action Plan for 2019-2023 to include “a healthy Nigerian population with reduced burden of NCDs, enhanced quality of life for socio-economic development; To promote healthy lifestyle in Nigeria and provide a framework for strengthening the health care system using a multi-sectoral approach for the prevention and control of NCDs; To significantly reduce the burden of Non-Communicable diseases in Nigeria in line with the targets of the third sustainable development goal”. On the Budget breakdown by Strategic Objectives, the Minister revealed that a grand total of ₦ 90,082,511,431.00 / $295,352,496.50 is required to achieve the objective. He listed part of the objectives to include strengthening governance & stewardship for NCD prevention and control as well as to promote healthy lifestyle and implement interventions to reduce modifiable risk amongst others. While calling for collaborative efforts from all Nigerians to reduce the burden of NCDs in Nigeria, Adewole added that “NCDs have overtaken CDs as the leading cause of death globally and locally. They are a major cause of poverty/inequality in Nigeria.” Earlier, representative of the World Health Organisation, (WHO) Dr. Rex Mpazanje, commended the NCDs Technical Working Group for developing a Multi-sectoral Action Plan for the country burden. On WHO response, Dr. Mpazanje said that the UN has recognised the rising prevalence, morbidity and mortality of NCDs worldwide, adding that it can be prevented and controlled through collective and multi-sectoral action by all Member states and other relevant stakeholders at local, national, regional and global levels. “The 2013-2020 Global Action Plan therefore, provides Member States, international partners and WHO with a road map and menu of policy options which, when implemented, will contribute to progress on 9 global NCD targets to be attained in 2025, including a 25% relative reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2025. “Control of NCDs was also included into the 2030 Agenda, with specific targets towards reaching the sustainable development goals. “We therefore wish to identify with the notable steps being taken of the multi-sectoral plan and this high level forum which is in line with whole-of-government, whole-of-society multi-sectoral approach advocated by WHO so that public health in general and NCD control in particular are mainstreamed in all sectoral policies,” he added. Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja