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Noncommunicable diseases

Jan 27, 2025 Features / Columnists, News

Editorial…

Kaieteur News- It must be acknowledged that not enough attention is paid to the deaths caused by or are the consequences of noncommunicable diseases here.

According to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) kill at least 41 million people each year worldwide, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally. According to the organisation, in the Region of the Americas, which includes Guyana, 5.5 million deaths are caused by NCDs.

Each year, 15 million people -2.2 million in the Region of the Americas – die from an NCD between the ages of 30 and 69 years. Over 85% of these “premature” deaths occur in low and middle-income countries. Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.0 million), respiratory diseases (3.9million), and diabetes (1.6 million), globally.  These four groups of diseases account for over 80% of all premature NCD deaths, the PAHO said. Tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets all increase the risk of dying from an NCD.

Deaths from NCDs are still seen as prevalent in the older generation, but this is not necessarily the complete picture. The statistics have shown that 15 million people between the ages of 30-67 die from NDCs each year in the Americas.  However, for some unexplained reasons, many people still mistakenly believe that young people do not die from heart attacks or stroke. The only way the nation is going to relate to the fact that young people are at risk of dying from NCDs is if it is given prominence.

NCDs are not only occurring in Guyana or the Caribbean, they are a worldwide occurrence, and the death rates are just as high for the young as they are for the old.  The WHO has stated that the four major risk factors that contribute to NCD deaths are unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol and the excessive use of tobacco. It is often said that good health is not just the absence of disease or illness, it is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, which means eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, avoiding tobacco and drugs and getting plenty of rest.

In this year’s budget, $143.2 billion has been allocated for the health sector, which the government said will bring about a dramatic expansion and improvement in the coverage of the public healthcare system and place us well on our way to realising the modern world class system “we are building”. Also in the budget, it was mentioned that screening for chronic diseases was done for over 90,000 persons in 2024, surpassing the total target of 70,000. The target for 2025 is 100,000 persons. It is left to be seen how much of the $143B will be spent on tackling NDCs, not just from the standpoint of treatment and care, but also prevention, which must include a more robust education campaign that targets our youth.

It is difficult to get NCDs in the headlines or in the minds of people, that such diseases are a major cause of deaths among young and old in the country. It has been a struggle for health officials who, in spite of educating the people on the causes of NCDs, continue to see a high human toll from these preventable illnesses. Hypertension, cancer, diabetes and other ailments are the major killers in Guyana, more than murders or traffic fatalities. However, the prevalence of these deaths is not having much impact on society. There are many persons, both young and old, who are at risk of dying from NDCs, but are walking around unaware of the existence of their conditions.

(Noncommunicable diseases)

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