Non-communicable diseases – leading cause of death in Vietnam

A medical worker gives examination to a man suffering from a stroke (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Medicine Association
and the Ministry of Health raised the fact that
(NCDs) are now a leading cause of death in Vietnam at the sixth National
Scientific Conference in Hanoi on November 21.

Participants in the event focused on
cardiovascular, respiratory and endocrine – diabetes, and nutrition.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said NCDs
are a major cause of death and place disease and socio-economic burdens on
Vietnam. To curb NCDs, the country issued a strategy for NCDs prevention and
control and a national strategy for preventing cancer, cardiovascular diseases,
diabetes, , bronchial asthma and other NCDs for
2011-2015. 

However, the rate of NCDs is still rising
because of environmental pollution, urbanisation and unhealthy lifestyle, she
noted.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyen Thi Xuyen, Chairwoman of
the Vietnam Medicine Association said in recent years, the country has been
faced a growing burden of diseases and death caused by NCDs.

NCDs are currently a leading cause of death in Vietnam, Xuyen said, noting that
seven of 10 deaths are caused by NCDs such as , diabetes,
cancer and chronic lung disease.

The country records about 12 million people with
high blood pressure, nearly 3 million with , two million with heart and
chronic lung diseases, and nearly 120,000 people with cancer every year,
accounting for two-thirds of total disease burden. NCDs cause 73 percent of all
deaths each year, and up to 40 percent of the deaths are before the age of 70.

She noted although the health sector has made
efforts to control NCDs, they are still growing at an alarming rate. She
attributed the fact to people’s low awareness of disease prevention.

About 45 percent of men in the country smoke,
and 77 percent of the population drink alcohol. Vietnamese people’s salt intake
still doubles the WHO’s recommended level. Meanwhile, the rate of persons with
high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular risks who are detected and
receive treatment remains low, Xuyen added.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), NCDs are a big economic
burden at present. They are forecast to result in total loss of 47 trillion USD
around the world in the next two decades. -VNA