NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN TO DEAL WITH NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

By Alan Ting

PUTRAJAYA, July 16 (Bernama) -- A national strategic plan to prevent or
delay the onset of non-communicable diseases (NCD) like cardiovascular, diabetes
and related complications among the population will be tabled to the Cabinet for
approval soon, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

"The Cabinet paper is ready. We are in the process of getting feedback from
various ministries. Then, we will forward it to the Cabinet for approval," he
told Bernama in an interview here.

Liow said 'The National Strategic Plan for Non-Communicable Diseases' or
NSP-NCD contained seven main strategies -- prevention, clinical management,
increase patient compliance, action with NGO (non-gvernmental organisation),
monitoring, capacity building and policy, as well as regulatory.

"There is an emphasis on inter-sectoral collaboration, including with other
ministries, private sectors, NGO and other related stakeholders in this
strategic plan.

"Therefore, my target for the ministry is that by 2020, we can have the
lifespan of our population increased to about 82 or 83 years old from the
current 76 (female) and 73 (male). By improving our population lifespan, we hope
to be on par with developed countries such United Kingdom (80) and Japan (85),"
he added.

Liow said the strategic plan was drafted with emphasis on inter-sectoral
collaboration, multi-sectoral approach and focusing on three risk factors such
as unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and tobacco use.

"It is a whole government approach, not just the ministry of health. When
the whole government machinery comes in, then we get the people to be part of
the programme. People must understand that they want to be healthy, fight NCD,"
he said.

For the past 10 years, the NCD such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity and
cardivascular cases have increased.

Liow said a 10-year survey from 1996 to 2006 showed that NCD had increased
astronomically, with hypertension going up by 44 per cent, diabetes by 80 per
cent and obesity by almost 220 per cent.

This included the growing Type 2 Diabetes cases, otherwise known as
non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes which reported
to be growing fast in this region.

-- BERNAMA