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'Chronic diseases cause 40pc deaths'

26 April 2010, 18:00 PM

METROPOLITAN

Staff Correspondent

With a view to preventing non-communicable and chronic diseases by creating awareness and living accordingly, the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) has launched a Centre for Control of Chronic Diseases in the city. At the formal launching ceremony of the centre at the SASAKAWA auditorium yesterday, health experts highlighted the increasing trend of chronic diseases, its negative impact on economy and the ways to control the diseases. The Centre for Control of Chronic Diseases in Bangladesh (CCCDB), a Centre of Excellence in the UnitedHealth Group Global Chronic Disease Initiative, is a partnership between ICDDR,B, Brac, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Institute of Development Studies. National Professor Brig (retd) Abdul Malik, who is secretary general of National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, said with control of infectious diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancers the non-communicable diseases are emerging alarmingly. Quoting the World Health Organisation's (WHO) report of 2002, he said 40 percent death occurs in the country due to chronic diseases and of the chronic diseases 20 percent is cardiovascular. "20 to 25 percent of the adult population has hypertension and 10 percent has eschemic heart disease for inactive lifestyle, smoking and bad food habit," he said adding, "As the treatment of chronic diseases are very expensive, we should try to prevent and control the diseases." He also asked the ICDDR,B authorities to work in collaboration with other organisations that have been working on these issues for greater benefit of the society. While speaking as the chief guest, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Prof Shah Monir Hossain said that the government is yet to know exactly the burden due to chronic disease. He also said that 65 percent of health budget is being spent for communicable diseases, but non-communicable diseases are getting less attention. "Though we have good infrastructure at primary healthcare level, very few steps have been taken to prevent the chronic diseases at this level," he said adding that the programme that is run by the DGHS is also very weak. "People need more information and we should come forward by creating awareness and giving information on risk factors," he added. Dr Alejandro Cravioto, executive director of ICDDR,B, Dr Simon Stevens, executive vice president of UnitedHealth Group of USA, Dr Richard SW Smith of UnitedHealth Group Global Chronic Disease Initiative and Dr Tracey Lynn Preez Koehlmoos, project coordinator of CCCDB, also spoke.