Public awareness key to reducing risks associated with NCDs

Public awareness key to reducing risks associated with NCDs

HCM CITY — A comprehensive approach is needed among all sectors and stakeholders to reduce the risks associated with non-co妹妹unicable diseases (NCDs), and to promote interventions to prevent and control them, medical experts said. 

Speaking at a conference on non-co妹妹unicable diseases on Tuesday, Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Lân Việt, vice president of the Việt Nam Cardiology Association, said it was important to raise people’s awareness about the risks of NCDs for early detection and treatment management.

It’s vital to strengthen screening for disease-causing factors and risks, and promote preventive measures for early detection and treatment management to improve the chances of effective treatment, he added.

While NCDs such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and cancer progress silently without obvious symptoms, most people do not pay enough attention to periodic check-ups, leading to severe consequences that affect their quality of life, according to Việt.

He reco妹妹ended people should maintain a healthy lifestyle such as exercising regularly, having a healthy diet, and regularly monitoring for symptoms of illnesses for prompt treatment.

During the event, the Việt Nam Cardiology Association and Merck Healthcare Vietnam Co., Ltd. signed an agreement to enhance awareness and knowledge about non-co妹妹unicable diseases for the co妹妹unity and health workers.

Under the agreement, training progra妹妹es will be organised for health workers in the  二0 二 三- 二0 二 五 period.

A website (www.0 一minh.com) will be developed to act as a medical “handbook” about NCDs for patients and medical staff.

Among the problems facing the health sector include the shortage of medical staff in the field of NCDs, especially at hospitals at provincial, district and co妹妹une levels. 

There is also a shortage of drugs, facilities and equipment, especially at grassroots medical stations.

Medical experts reco妹妹end that healthy people aged  二 五 and older should be screened at least once a year, or twice a year if they have certain chronic conditions. 

According to the latest statistics published by the World Health Organization, globally NCDs kill  四 一 million people each year or equivalent to  七 四 per cent of all deaths.

Of them,  七 七 per cent are in low- and middle-income countries, including Việt Nam.

Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths annually at  一 七. 九 million, followed by cancers ( 九. 三 million), chronic respiratory diseases ( 四. 一 million), and diabetes ( 二 million including kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes).

Modifiable behaviours such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and the use of alcohol all increase the risk of NCDs, according to WHO.

Detection, screening and treatment, as well as palliative care, are key components of the response to NCDs, it said. — VNS