NCDs cause half of Lanka's daily deaths

Nadira Gunatilleke

Around 1,000 persons die in Sri Lanka per day and there are 1,200 births. Half of the deaths are due to Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and related health problems. During past 70 years 50 percent of the deaths had been caused by chronic NCDs, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman the number of patients who get admitted to State hospitals for treatment has gone up by 20 percent in the past six years. Death caused by heart attacks had gone up by 18 percent.

At the moment 20 percent of the total population suffers from high blood pressure. The urban and semi urban population between 18 and 65 years has diabetes. Eight percent of the rural population suffer from diabetes. Diabetes has increased among the people during past 20 years. Last year 9,000 million cigarettes (all types including locally made beedi etc) had been used in Sri Lanka.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena will appoint a special Additional Secretary to handle matters about NCDs shortly. He will be responsible for conducting countrywide awareness programs and controlling NCDs. The Minister decided to make this appointment considering the latest statistics on NCDs and latest trends discovered by the Ministry in connection with increasing rates of NCDs in Sri Lanka, he said.