The trend must be reversed, says Hou
By ANDREW FANASIA
THE Government has now taken up the battle to fight against Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Prime Minister Rick Hou declared this at the High Level Roundtable Meeting on the NCD Policy Roadmap in Honiara, Monday.
“This group, this government, we must declare war on NCDs,” he said.
“Today we commence our journey to halt and reverse the NCD crises that is rampant and responsible for 70% of all our deaths in the country,” Mr Hou added.
He further stressed three important reasons that underpin why his government must double their efforts to halt and reverse the NCD crisis in Solomon Islands.
“Firstly, from the health statistics it points to the urgent need to address this killer disease.
“We have no option but to address it, if only to safe the majority of our population from prematurely being hospitalized or being amputated,” Mr Hou said.
Secondly, from the Economic lenses NCDs impose large (but often preventable) costs on already overstretched Government health budgets and the economy more broadly.
Diabetes alone, accounts for roughly 20% of the health budget.
A Pacific 2050 Publication by the Commonwealth Secretariat estimates that if the trend of diabetes in Solomon Islands continues at its current pace, the country will need an annual budget of US$37 million (SBD$303 million) to respond to diabetes alone.
“This is already almost 40% of the current total health budget. Put simply, this scenario is neither appropriate, nor affordable for our nation,” Mr Hou said.
“Thirdly, from the political stand-point the NCD crisis is occurring under the watch of the Political Government and leaders in Solomon Islands.
“Decisions made by today’s political leaders in our country will determine the level of the NCD crises in Solomon Islands tomorrow.”
It is understood that the aim of this meeting is to convene ‘a high-level, multi-sectoral, whole of government and whole of society consultation meeting’ to commence development of our NCD Roadmap with the goal to slow down, halt and reverse the NCD epidemic in the country.
This Roundtable meeting came as a result from Mr Hou’s government commitment at the international stage.
Mr Hou made a statement at the Third High Level Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 27th September 2018.
Permanent Secretaries, WHO Representative, staff from the Ministry of Health and Partners from the Churches attended the meeting.
