80% of deaths in Oman due to NCDs, says report
OMAN, WHO TO COOPERATE ON FIGHTING DISEASES
Published: 04:08 AM,Aug 23,2023 | EDITED : 09:08 AM,Aug 23,2023
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major threat to the Sultanate of Oman’s public health, as about 80 per cent of deaths in the country are attributed to NCDs, according to a recent systematic review on NCDs and health equity in the EMR by the Ministry of Health (MoH).
In light of this, HH Sayyidah Dr Mona bint Fahd al Said, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for International Cooperation at Sultan Qaboos University, Chair of the National Committee for Disease Prevention Non-Communicable Diseases and Control, and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, held a meeting on Tuesday.
NCDs are a major public health issue, and sedentary lifestyle, consumption of junk food and oily foods, and other factors are contributing to the NCDs including heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes. Additionally, faulty dietary practices characterised by high intake of salt, fat and sugar among both the adults and adolescent population in Oman have been touted to be the reasons behind these ‘silent killers’.
“Adult-onset NCDs are increasingly being seen because of poor nutrition in infancy and early childhood, and an outcome of the ongoing nutritional transition with its characteristic shifts in diet, lifestyle and body composition,” said Dr Salima, Director of the Nutrition Department at the MoH.
During the meeting, they discussed joint cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman
and the World Health Organization to reduce and prevent these diseases.
She further said there is a need for the development of culture-specific interventions aimed at improving early child-feeding practices, decreasing the intake of atherogenic nutrients and favouring the consumption of cardio-protective foods in Oman.
“In the planning for any intervention to alter the population’s food consumption patterns, the first step should be an assessment of the consumer’s knowledge and attitudes as potential determinants of dietary practices,” Dr Salima added.
In light of this, HH Sayyidah Dr Mona bint Fahd al Said, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for International Cooperation at Sultan Qaboos University, Chair of the National Committee for Disease Prevention Non-Communicable Diseases and Control, and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, held a meeting on Tuesday.
NCDs are a major public health issue, and sedentary lifestyle, consumption of junk food and oily foods, and other factors are contributing to the NCDs including heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes. Additionally, faulty dietary practices characterised by high intake of salt, fat and sugar among both the adults and adolescent population in Oman have been touted to be the reasons behind these ‘silent killers’.
“Adult-onset NCDs are increasingly being seen because of poor nutrition in infancy and early childhood, and an outcome of the ongoing nutritional transition with its characteristic shifts in diet, lifestyle and body composition,” said Dr Salima, Director of the Nutrition Department at the MoH.
During the meeting, they discussed joint cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman
and the World Health Organization to reduce and prevent these diseases.
She further said there is a need for the development of culture-specific interventions aimed at improving early child-feeding practices, decreasing the intake of atherogenic nutrients and favouring the consumption of cardio-protective foods in Oman.
“In the planning for any intervention to alter the population’s food consumption patterns, the first step should be an assessment of the consumer’s knowledge and attitudes as potential determinants of dietary practices,” Dr Salima added.