NCDs main cause for deaths in SL-official

Ishara Mudugamuwa

Non-communicable diseases are the main cause for deaths in Sri Lanka. This is due to the increasing number of adult population, Health Ministry Additional Secretary Palitha Maheepala told a workshop at the Health Education Bureau on Friday.

"One in four people in Sri Lanka will be adults by 2025. There is a threat of non-communicable diseases increasing in the country. The main non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases," he said. The additional secretary said that socio economic development such as urbanization, industrialization, food consumption methods, lifestyles, drug addiction and smoking can cause non-communicable diseases. "The health sector alone cannot find a solution for this problem. All sectors should work together to a combat non-communicable diseases," he said.

According to a research by a Japanese professor, vegetable, fruit and fish consumption in Sri Lanka is low while salt consumption is high.