Illustrative image (Source: VNA)HCM
City (VNA) – Non-infectious diseases claim the lives of about 400,000
Vietnamese people each year, said at a
conference seeking to prevent and control these diseases in the southern region
in Ho Chi Minh City on May 8.
Although
the has exerted efforts to control such non-communicable diseases
as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and high blood pressure, the number of suffers
are rising at an alarming level, Long stated.
He
continued by revealing that 70 percent of deaths each year are caused by
, of whom 40 percent are under 70 years old.
He
attributed the fact to the unhealthy lifestyle of many Vietnamese, adding that there
are currently 49 percent of males smoking cigarettes, and 77 percent of the
population consuming alcohol.
The
Vietnamese people also use salt two times higher than the level recommended by
the World Health Organisation (WHO), he added.
WHO
Chief Representative in Vietnam Lokky Wai stated that non-infectious diseases
are putting a burden on the world’s economy, predicting a loss of 47 trillion
USD in the next 20 years.
In
Vietnam, tobacco-related diseases cause a loss of around 1 billion USD each
year, he said.
He
suggested the country well control these diseases in order to reduce treatment
costs, hospital overloads, and economic burden, while stressing the need to make
changes in policies and management measures.
The
ministry has set a target of decreasing the rate of deaths caused by
to 20 percent by 2025.
It
also aimed to reduce 30 percent of smokers, 10 percent of alcohol users, while
cutting down the amount of salt used by 30 percent, controlling the rate of
obesity under 15 percent and the rate of high blood pressure patients under 30
percent.
To
that end, the ministry carried out several measures, including the making of
the law on alcohol-related harms, the law on tobacco-related harms, and the
building of a plan to implement the national strategy on nutrition.
It
also bettered the provision of preventive measures and treatment services at
hospital from the central to communal and village levels.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
