Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases Greater

The World Health Organization estimates that deaths from non-communicable diseases reach nearly 380,000 cases per year in Vietnam, claiming  73 percent of all deaths and reducing Vietnamese people's average longevity, reported Vietnamese non-communicable prevention league at a meeting last Friday.  The report also said that burden of non-communicable diseases has been greater in the country. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, are not passed from person to person. They are of long duration and generally slow progression. The 4 main types of noncommunicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructed pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes. Executive Director of Health Bridge Ms. Sian Fitzgerald stressed that the non-communicative disease epidemic occurred in Vietnam 10 years early than expectation. Tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, excess salt/sodium intake and the harmful use of alcohol increase the risk of non-communicative diseases. These risk factors caused more than  two third chronic disease cases and worse complicated development of these diseases. Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine Dr. Tran Dac Phu, said that around 80 percent of non-communicable diseases in Vietnam including heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes could be preventative. The league comprising of 14 organizations consented to work for urgent problems of Vietnam's health sector in the next time. The establishment of the league is considered as a vital step which social organizations set up to support the Vietnamese Government in the health sector. Health Bridge is an organization for   improving health of vulnerable populations, including those at risk of malnutrition, infectious disease. It is  one of the organizations that set up the non-communicable disease prevention league in Vietnam. (http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/ Aug 30)