Six people die each day from NCD in Solomon Islands

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Six people die each day from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) in the Solomon Islands, with 42 lose their lives each week, 180 a month and 2,160 every year.

These staggering figures were revealed today to journalists by Nevalyn Laesanau, the Acting Director of NCD, in the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

The ministry is partnering with the Japanese Government to promote healthy food and heathy eating in a bid to address the NCD crisis.

Japanese Ambassador MIWA Yoshiaki is at the forefront of leading the charge following a request from Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele for Japan to help combat the deadly NCD especially in terms of food.

Miwa today held a seminar with journalists and the help of a Japanese nurse who served at the hospital introduced simple, low cost diets choices for Solomon Islanders to tackle NCD.

This comes as the Solomon Islands health system is dealing with ravaging NCD which now accounts for 80% of cases in the NRH.

However, the number of people dying has also increased with Laesanau confirming that each day six people die of NCD in the country.

“NCD is very concerning. It is now at crisis point in our country. Data shows that six people die each day from NCD. It includes those who walk, fall and die or those that sleep and never wake up,” said Laesanau.

One of the contributing factors is diet.

Laesanau said data shows that around 89% of the country’s population are not eating each fruits and vegetables.

She hoped the partnership would help to encourage people to eat healthy, the right proportion and at the right time.

Laesanau said when people eat the right amount and balanced diet coupled with exercise “we can able to address NCD.”

The NCD situation is the country is staggering, one in six persons in Solomon Islands diabetic, one in five persons is pre-diabetic and one in 3 persons in the country has high-blood pressure.

–More to follow later