Tackling NCDs, causing 70% of deaths in Pacific [1]
Thursday, November 24, 2016 - 16:15. Updated on Monday, December 5, 2016 - 21:44.
In the Pacific, non-communicable diseases account for around 70% of all deaths, in Fiji that number is 80%, and the tragedy is that most of these deaths are preventable, Dr Tim Martyn of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation in Fiji told delegates from Small Island States (SIDS), meeting in Suva, Fiji. Delegates looked at a Global Action Plan to respond to the food and nutrition challenges.
Addressing the growing crisis in food and nutrition that is threatening the health of small island nations was discussed by delegatesfrom around the world at the meeting facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The three-day meeting from November 1-3 revolved around a Global Action Plan (GAP) developed to respond to the food and nutrition challenges faced by SIDS including undernourishment, access to food, food import dependence, food utilization, stability of food supply and access.
Dr Tim Martyn said that worldwide, 38 million people are dying per year from non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
In the Pacific, on average, NCDs account for 70% of all deaths, in Fiji that number is 80%, he said, and the tragedy is that most of these deaths are preventable.
In Tonga, NCDs continue to be the most pressing health issue facing Tongans today, particularly diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
“We are a major cause of NCDs, of the cancers, heart disease and diabetes that plague our lands. We literally are what we eat,” said Dr Martyn.
“To prevent serious diseases we need good nutritious food, but this is often not readily available, or for many, too expensive. People are making choices of food that they can afford and too often what is affordable is what is making them sick.”
He added that the setting of policies and investment decisions over the course of a generation has led small island developing states to this crisis point.
“SIDS is moving towards addressing these food and nutritious challenges. And this meeting highlighted the challenges.”
“There is serious commitment from the international community to the Global Action Plan. What we need to do now is to engage the political process in each of the SIDS countries to ensure that the political leadership is satisfied with what’s being proposed so that we can move forward on the technical programme,” said Dr Martyn.
The draft Global Action Plan document with the input from the meeting is to be submitted shortly to the UN SIDS Secretariat in New York, a step closer in drafting the final version of this vital document.
The plan adds to other non-communicable diseases combat strategies in place in the Pacific striving to reverse the health crisis.
In June this year, the Pacific Non-Communicable Diseases Summit was held in Tonga, attended by regional leaders as well as United Nations Development Program Administrator Helen Clark to discuss the health and development challenges NCDs pose in the Pacific.