NCD, the No one killer

Nipuni WIMALAPALA

Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) are the leading cause of deaths in Sri Lanka, accounting for 65.4 percent of all deaths. Among them, chronic respiratory diseases, which are asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, account for seven percent of all NCDs and 8.5 percent deaths due to NCD, National Hospital of Sri Lanka consultant, respiratory physician and Association of Pulmonologists – Sri Lanka president Dr Amitha Fernando said.

This was revealed at the fourth Annual Academic Sessions of the association held in Colombo yesterday.

The sessions were held for two days with the participation of several medical professionals from UK and India along with local experts.

“Though the main focus is on heart diseases and diabetes, there is a high increase of respiratory diseases where as much as 13 percent of the child population and 20 percent of the adult population are suffering from asthma.

‘It is one of the highest rates in the region. Altogether there are around 2 million asthma sufferers in the country and four percent of all hospital deaths are due to asthma,” Dr Fernando said.

The purpose of the academic session was to make people aware of the risk they go through, by educating the medical fraternity around the country and to convince them of the necessity of forming a proper national policy on respiratory diseases.

Dr Fernando said the main reasons for the increase in NCDs are urbanisation, lifestyle changes, air pollution both indoor and outdoor, the complex array of chemicals in our diets and homes and tobacco smoking. The enhancement of the respiratory diseases is related to the use of tobacco, firewood and plastic bags, yoghurt cups to light fire places and occupation related issues is also another cause.

He said most NCDs are preventable. The public should be aware of the reasons for NCDs and adopt healthy food patterns, avoid tobacco and alcohol and being overweight to be free of NCDs.