The Health Ministry announced at information day held Thursday in Tunis the start of the 2023-2025 participatory action plan of the multi-sector national strategy for the prevention and reduction of non-communicable diseases.
This participatory action plan, which brings together ministries, the World Health Organization (WHO)-Tunis Office, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UNICEF and the civil society seeks to address issues related to non-communicable diseases.
Director General of Health Abderrazek Bouzouita pointed out that this action plan includes specific measures for each sector in a bid to achieve positive figures in the prevention and reduction of non-communicable diseases by 2025.
He stressed that non-communicable diseases namely heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases represent a threat to public health, in general. These pathologies can be prevented or reduced through effective interventions against common risk factors including smoking, poor nutrition, alcohol consumption and a sedentary lifestyle, he added.
WHO representative in Tunis Ibrahim AL-Zik underlined that the findings of the national survey of public health in Tunisia (developed by the National Public Health Institute in 2016) show diabetes stands at 16% in populations over 15 while arterial hypertension is 29%.
He highlighted that 2/3 of the Tunisian population does not exercise, adding that their salt intake is estimated between 10 and 12 g/day exceeding the recommended maximum average set by the WHO which is 5 g/day.
He also noted that the medical care of these diseases is heavy for both the citizen and the society as all non-communicable diseases represent 60% of health spending in Tunisia.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse