| James Kon |
A SLEW of unpleasant health statistics is staring at Brunei even though authorities are going all out in their battle against the scourge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Revealing the worrying figures of a recent survey held in the country, the Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi said, “The prevalence of diabetes in Brunei is about 12.8 per cent. Some 28 per cent of the population has hypertension which means that one in three persons in the country has hypertension. And 50 per cent of these people do not know they have hypertension or diabetes.”
The finding are worrying, he said at a forum discussion on ‘Strengthening Health System’ during the open session of the 13th Asean Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM) and related meetings at the International Convention Centre yesterday.
“The government is trying to get more and more people checked for diabetes and hypertension,” the minister added.
In tackling NCDs, the minister said, “This is a big issue for our country. We are a small and young country. We need to hit hard against the rise of NCDs, especially among the young.”
Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee, Deputy Secretary-General of Asean Secretariat, agreed with the Brunei Health Minister’s view on prevention.
“Asean is moving forward to the direction of promotion of the culture of prevention. In addressing the issues of NCDs, Asean can lead by example,” he noted.
In tackling the rise of NCDs in Brunei Darussalam, the Ministry of Health has aligned three strategic priorities – inculcating the message ‘Health is Everyone’s Business’, preventing and controlling NCDs and enhancing the quality of service delivery through consolidation and realignment of healthcare services in the country, the minister said.
“We are trying to move away from the notion that health is only about providing services to the sick… Often, we forget the bigger masses, the ones who are well, and it is far more cost effective if we actually spend time and money on them. The concept of enhancing health literacy is very critical. In Brunei, we go back to the basics to really understand how much does the population know about what good health is all about,” he added.
The minister also highlighted the importance of inculcating the ‘Health is Everyone’s Business’ message with a whole-of-society approach and it is the collective responsibility of Ministry of Health in cooperation with other ministries to ensure that people are living a good life and in a healthy way.
Meanwhile, Professor Dr David Koh Soo Quee, the moderator of the open session retreat, said, “In the last few decades, the Asean region has experienced significant demographic changes, remarkable social and economic growth and transition of disease pattern.
“Collectively, we are faced with common health concerns such as rising cost of medical care, the twin burden of non-communicable diseases and emerging infectious diseases, drug resistance and challenges in the delivery of healthcare. In facing such challenges, we want and we need to improve health in ways that are responsive and financially fair, making the best use of available resources,” he said.
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