The four diseases make up 73 percent of the disease and death burden in Vietnam.

Nguyen Tuan Lam from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Vietnam said that non-communicable diseases are chronic diseases which progress silently. There is no clear reason, but there are many risk factors.

Cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, cancer, and diabetes are the major non-communicable diseases defined by WHO. The four diseases cause the heaviest burden and damage. In 2018, mental disorders were added to the group of non-communicable diseases.

Lam cited a report that said about 36 million deaths globally in 2018 were caused by non-communicable diseases. Of these, more than 14 million were premature deaths. Developing countries bear a heavy burden.

“Smoking, high blood pressure, alcohol abuse, and an unreasonable nutrition regime are the factors affecting non-communicable diseases thar can be prevented. Eliminating these factors will save many lives,” Tuan said.

It was estimated that non-communicable diseases caused a huge loss of $47 trillion globally in 2020. Of this, $30 trillion was caused by the four diseases, while the remaining were caused by neuropsychiatric diseases.

Angela Pratt, WHO’s Chief Representative in Vietnam, said that non-communicable diseases not only put a burden on people’s health but also cause huge economic damage.

It is estimated that smoking causes a loss of $4.5 billion a year.

One of the most effective solutions to mitigate tobacco consumption and the products which may harm people’s health (liquor, beer, alcoholic drinks…) is imposing a huge tax on them.

Angela Pratt said that in Vietnam the use of tobacco has decreased, though only modestly. Congratulating the government of Vietnam for its efforts to reduce the proportion of people using tobacco, the expert stressed greater efforts are needed to save more lives.

Cardiovascular diseases account for 20.5 percent; cancer 13.3 percent; chronic respiratory disease 4 percent; diabetes 3.9 percent of the total disease burden. in addition, neuropsychiatric disorders account for 5.3 percent of total deaths.

Under the national strategy on preventing and fighting non-communicable diseases in 2015-2025, Vietnam aims to reduce 30 percent of smokers, 10 percent of harmful liquor and beer drinkers, 10 percent of people who lack physical exercise; curb the overweight and obesity proportion to below 15 percent; control high blood pressure, to below 30 percent; control diabetes (below 8 percent); reduce by 20 percent the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Linh Giao