HEALTH workers attending the 2015 National Health Conference this week in Honiara have been modelling healthy behaviors.
In the course of the Health Conference which is successfully ended yesterday, the health workers voluntary donated blood, doing physical exercises between sessions and getting their blood pressure, blood sugar and weight checked.
Speaking in response to the brave action taken by the health workers, Permanent Secretary Dr Tenneth Dalipanda said the effort taken by the health workers to tackle Non Communicable Diseases at the National Health Conference this week is a great start.
Dr Dalipanda said non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung diseases are a major cause of death and disability in the Solomon Islands today.
He said in 2005 and 2006, 13.5% of the population was diabetic while 10.7% of the population had high blood pressure.
He said Solomon Islanders are suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma and chronic chest conditions in unprecedented numbers where he revelled two thirds of patients at NRH are there due to complications associated with NCDs
“Doing more sport or physical activity, eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day and reducing salty food, will help reduce NCDs across the country,” he said.
Statistically, in 2005 and 2006, 31% of the population are involved in daily smoking, and approximately 94% consumed less than five combined daily servings of fruit and vegetables per day.
Moreover, more than 25% of the male population has reported consumed five or more alcoholic beverages per day within the previous week.
With that alarming figure shown, MHMS is calling on all health workers, government ministries, donor partners, community and church leaders, teachers, mothers and fathers to consider how they can help fight against NCDs at home, at work and in their community as health is everybody’s business.
By BIRIAU WILSON SAENI
