Endemic Non-Communicable Diseases
Local government’s role important for NCD prevention
Local government’s role important for NCD prevention
Only awareness can not control non-communicable diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetics and cancer. Changes at infrastructural and policy issues should also be changed in addition to awareness building initiatives. Local government can play important role in this regard. Speakers stressed above issues while addressing in the divisional workshop on “Non-communicable Disease Prevention” at Rajshahi today. The program was jointly organized by National level organization WBB Trust in collaboration with BICD, BUKS, RANI, and BCDP at NGO forum Training Centre. Policy analyst Adv. Syed Mahbubul Alam, Nazmul Huda Nayon, Executive Director of BICD, Md. Altab Hossain, Executive Director of BCDP, and RANI Chief Executive Fazlul Haq Khan while Md. Hasinur Rahman, Executive Director of BUKS was in the chair and Sharmin Akter Rini Development Officer of WBB Trust convened the function.
They said increase of consuming soft-drinks, energy Drinks, junk foods, fast foods is caused by unawareness and many advertisements. As a result of soft-drinks, energy Drinks, junk foods, fast foods consumption, people from all ages including children are attacked by health hazards as Type2 diabetics, high pressure, and obesity etc. In order to reduce consumption of soft-drinks, energy Drinks, junk foods, fast foods its advertisements should be banned and high taxation should be imposed on these products.
Syed Mahbubul Alam said, once we used to entertain guests with local fruits and home made snakes but we are used to soft drinks at present. The behavioral changes are mainly responsible for causing Non-communicable diseases, he added. Md. Hasinur Rahman said most of the children are prone to television and many advertisements of soft-drinks, energy Drinks, junk foods, fast foods are telecast on television channels. This make them addicted to these products. So, all advertisements of all kind of harmful products should be banned.
Md. Fazlul Haq said scope of recreation including play grounds is reducing. It generates frustration among them which leads to addiction. So, scope of recreation should be increased for our children. Altab Hosain said addiction begins from tobacco consumption. Tobacco addiction is cause of non-communicable diseases including cancer. Strict actions are needed for tobacco control.
Nazmul Huda Nayon said parks and play grounds are insufficient. Play grounds should be increased for people of all ages. Pedestrians to be widened so that people can easily move from one place to another. Opportunity of walking can reduce risks of NCD.
Two notes were presented in the program. Note on “Causes of NCDs was presented by Aminul Islam Sujon, project coordinator of WBB Trust and “Sound Health; necessity of cycling, walking and play grounds and parks” was presented by Maruf Rahman, National Advocacy Officer of WBB Trust.
In his note Aminul Islam Sujon said, negative eating habit (fast foods, soft drinks, energy drinks, packed juice, junk foods like chips etc.), addiction (smoking, tobacco and drugs use) and reduction of sports facilities are causes of infecting non-communicable diseases (cancers, high pressure, heart diseases, diabetics etc.). Law and regulations should be passed to control unusual food habits and to reduce morbidity from NCDs. He added.
In his note Maruf Rahman said, ‘each man should walk 30 minutes everyday’. Walking is good for health and is a good medium of movement. But there are not feasible facilities for walking in cities. Walking is not stressed on perspective of health promotional tool or as medium of movement in city planning. Local government is responsible to create and manage footpaths for encouraging people to walking. 30 organizations from all districts of Rajshahi division participated in the program.
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