The non-communicable diseases (NCDs) constitute a huge burden and a major public health issue in UAE accounting for 65 per cent of deaths across the country, said a top health expert at an indutsry event in Dubai, UAE.

Addressing NCDs such as diabetes, Cardio vascular diseases, cancer, and chronic respiratory is the top priority of the UAE government and the Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap), remarked Dr Aisha Suhail, the director of the Primary Health Care Department at the ministry.

She was speaking at a workshop on NCDs in the presence of experts from Mohammed Bin Rashid University for Medicine and Health Sciences, Gulf Medical University, and Thumbay Hospital.

She said the recently developed NCD multisector action plan 2017-2021 and the establishment of national committee for NCD prevention and control with full engagements of all non-health sectors was a step in the right direction.

The recent development was in response to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases and in accordance with the World Health Organization’s goal of reducing by 25 per cent all NCD-related deaths by 2025, she noted.

The results of the NCD disease integration trial were presented during the workshop and suggestions were made to strengthen the services provided. The recent evidence in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension and diabetes was reviewed, said a statement from Mohap.

At the end of the workshop, seminars were held for medical staff, and focused on how to treat conditions. The seminars also featured a presentation on the latest developments and treatments for NCDs, and the latest smart applications for patients with blood pressure problems, it added.-TradeArabia News Service