NCDs: The dreadful Serial Killers

Non Communicable Diseases are the number one cause of death and disability in the world. They are known by us and has been with us all the time. Most people have lived with managed health conditions since childhood by no fault of theirs like babies born with HIV , Sickle Cell and many others.

Elizabeth Foley, was a very energetic and industrious woman in her sixties. The last time I saw her, she was a 68year old mother of eight. Ms Foley whose work revolved around fire and smoke, had done that work for over 40 years while she barely fall sick. She took her normal appetite enhancers and food supplements, blood tonics and exercise which was a routine due to the kind of work she did and was ok with no sign of sickness. In one unfortunate day, she collapsed for the first time and was taken to hospital for diagnoses and treatment. Her life never became the same. She was later diagnosed with a pulminary edema and was going through treatment. Within a year, from the time of the first collapse to the time of her last breath, it was anguish, anxieties, wishful thinking, flashback of who she used to be, and the challenge of accepting the momentary state of becoming dependents on other people, the mental state surrounding this: her mental health and that of the entire family!

People of all age groups, regions and countries are affected by NCDs. These conditions are often associated with older age groups, but evidence shows that 17 million NCD deaths occur before the age of 70 years. Of these premature deaths, 86% are estimated to occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Children, adults and the elderly are all vulnerable to the risk factors contributing to NCDs, whether from unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and exposure to tobacco smoke or harmful use of alcohol or air pollution.

 

Last year I met Mr. Asare (not real name), who was in her middle twenties; very youthful and full of life with promising aspirations and had lost his right leg to Diabetes. I don’t think he is the only one. You might know over thousands who have lost one organ or body parts to the other due to a health condition or even accident.

What is NCDs?

According to the world Health Oganisation, Non Communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, tend to be of long duration and are the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors. The main types of NCD are cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes.

Tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution all increase the risk of dying from an NCD. Many NCDs can be prevented by reducing common risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, physical inactivity and eating unhealthy diets. Many other important conditions are also considered NCDs, including injuries and Mental Health Disorders.

Why cases of NCDs and Mental Health  on the rise

Because Communicable diseases spread fastest, attention is placed more on them. Their high infectious rate makes people idolized diseases like Ebola, Covid-19 and Monkey Pox with funds and attention directed to their fight but somehow “romanticize” NCDs and Mental Health.

A reports from the World Health Oganisation indicate that, “NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally. Of all NCD deaths, 77% are in low- and middle-income countries. Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.3 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (2.0 million including kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes).

These four groups of diseases account for over 80% of all premature NCD deaths”. In Ghana, the total mortality rate for NCDs is 46%. When it comes to mental health, statistics show over 3.1 million Ghanaians are living with a sort of mental health condition.

In low-resource settings, health-care costs for NCDs and Mental Health which requires costly lifelong treatment with cost increasing exponentially in cases of multi-mobilites quickly drain household resources as NCDs treatment are left on the individual patient financial strength with a withhold benefit from the National Health Insurance Scheme.

The exorbitant costs of NCDs, including treatment, which is often lengthy and expensive, combined with loss of income, force millions of people into abject poverty annually and stifle development.

Apart from the financial instabilities among patients in treating NCDs, lack of funding to support increasing education and awareness and NCDs prevention and control is another key issue. Last month, the Ghana Non Communicable Disease Alliance (GhNCDA) in collaboration with PRINGPAG and MATCO held a capacity building Seminar for media professionals and CSOs on the 2nd Global Finance Dialogue on NCD and Mental Health.

The event which was on the theme, Accelerating Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the 2nd Global Finance Dialogue on NCD and Mental Health saw media professionals going through training and employing the media to use its medium to initiate mass education and awareness on NCDs and Mental Health and also to set an agenda urging government to increase investment in NCDs and Mental Health resource mobilization towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4. The National Coordinator, Ghana NCD Alliance, Mr. Labram Musah affirms the lifestyle like smoking , drinking alcoholic beverages and other carbonated drinks and junk food consumptions had contributed to NCDs and employs people to have attitudinal and lifestyle change for a better health.

Mr. Labram’s call on the Government to increase the allocation of the 20% of tax revenues mobilized from the Excise Duties on tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to 50% for targeted interventions on NCDs such as prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and education of NCDs among the Ghanaian populace is laudable.

However, as a sane persona, coming to know the devastating state of NCDs and their effects, would you rather rely on whatever rate of health tax from importers of such “friendly yet silent toxins” or you would rather change lifestyle paying particular attention to your health while consuming only the needful and exercising always. Wouldn’t you rather do this? Health taxes are those imposed on products that have a negative public health impact.

Many countries apply health taxes to products such as tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages that are independent risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. It must be clarified that consumption of sugary sweetened beverages (SSBs) is a major risk factor in causing obesity also.

The Global Health Advocacy Incubator has observed that people are regularly exposed to SSB marketing and celebrity endorsements, making it no surprise that a third of Ghanaians report drinking them multiple times a week and that makes it worrisome towards NCDs fight.

Efforts to Control NCDs and Mental Health

Per the goal of the seminar, the media is to do its part in creating awareness and setting agendas on prevention, causes and management of NCDs and Mental Health and will dully involve relevant stakeholders in discussions on related topics but the choice to survive; the power to cause a change lies in the hearts of individuals and government.

Expects say, “Detection, screening and treatment of NCDs, as well as palliative care, are key components of the response to NCDs. An important way to control NCDs is to focus on reducing the risk factors associated with these diseases. Low-cost solutions exist for governments and other stakeholders to reduce the common modifiable risk factors. Monitoring progress and trends of NCDs and their risk is important for guiding policy and priorities.

To lessen the impact of NCDs on individuals and society, a comprehensive approach is needed requiring all sectors, including health, finance, transport, education, agriculture, planning and others, to collaborate to reduce the risks associated with NCDs, and to promote interventions to prevent and control them. Investing in better management of NCDs is critical.

Management of NCDs includes detecting, screening and treating these diseases, and providing access to palliative care for people in need. High impact essential NCD interventions can be delivered through a primary health care approach to strengthen early detection and timely treatment.

The Ghana Health Service through the National Insurance Scheme is implementing a policy that will give every Ghanaian a one-time treat yearly; the opportunity to have a comprehensive checkups and screening, free of charge, as a “birthday gift”.

This will go a long way to check earlier signs of NCDs and Mental Health as early as possible so treatment can be initiated to save life.

Evidence shows such interventions are excellent economic investments because, if provided early to patients, they can reduce the need for more expensive treatment. Countries with inadequate health care coverage are unlikely to provide universal access to essential NCD interventions. NCD management interventions are essential for achieving the SDG target on NCDs.

It’s a collective work. Let’s all join hands in safeguarding and priotising our health because good health is good life.

Source: moreyouronline