NCDs Having Huge Impact on Tanzanian Households

Over 33% of all deaths in the country are caused by non communicable diseases (NCDs), leading to poverty and a downturn in the nation’s economy. Common NCD risk factors include tobacco use, the misuse of alcohol, unhealthy diets, insufficient physical activity, obesity, raised blood pressure, raised blood sugar and cholesterol. Professor Kaushik Ramaiya of the Tanzania NCD Alliance Diabetes has said that the NCD threat can be overcome, by using existing knowledge issued by health practitioners and other stakeholders. “The main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases that cause heart attacks and strokes, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and diabetes. We continue to organize awareness campaigns to ensure that citizens understand  the risk factors and advise them to have regular medical checkups”, Ramaiya said. According to a WHO 2018 report, NCDs kill 41 million people worldwide each year.