WHO forecasts rise in early deaths for region

Dubai: A large number of people in the region are dying prematurely and governments need to urgently prevent lifestyle diseases in the population, a senior WHO official warned here on Thursday.

Dr Ala Alwan, regional director of World Health Organisation, said projections show there will be an alarming rise in early deaths in the population due to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

He was speaking at the opening of the First Congress held in the UAE on NCDs. The four main groups of NCDs are heart diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases.

In the UAE, 67 per cent of deaths are due to NCDs and this has had a “profound impact on families, communities and in the prospects for development”, he said.

About 59 per cent of deaths among Emirati men are premature, before the age of 60 years, he said. Among Emirati women, 47 per cent of deaths are due to NCDs, he said.

The usual suspects are lack of physical activity, unhealthy diets and smoking, he said.

UAE is among the top 10 countries with the highest prevalence of diabetes in the world, and once diabetes and NCDs develop, they take up a substantial proportion of heath care services, Dr Alwan said.

“The demands on health systems will be unmanageable with the increasing burden, rising costs and higher consumer expectations,” he warned.

According to the UN General Assembly Political Declaration of September 2011, NCDs have been identified as a threat to socio-economic development and governments are urged to include prevention and control plans of these diseases.

Earlier, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of Dubai Health Authority (DHA), said this first Congress will address the growing problem of lifestyles diseases and ways of preventing them.

His speech was read out by Minister of Health Abdul Rahman Al Owais.

“A unique group of scientists and specialists are among us today to present the latest information and modern technologies that are available globally in this field,” Shaikh Hamdan said.

Organisers said 1,000 participants are taking part in the Congress.

Dr Najeeb Al Khaja, president of the Congress, said prevention is the key. Teaching the young how to eat nutritiously, do daily exercise and not smoke will reduce heart attacks in the population by at least 70 per cent, he said.

“Health strategies should not be limited to the development of diagnostic and therapeutic plans of these diseases, but must extend to preventive plans for addressing their causes,” he said.