Armenia wants to reduce premature mortality rate from non-communicable diseases by 20 percent
20.03.2017,
15:42
A plan of actions approved by the Armenian ministry of health and being implemented with the assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) is supposed to cut the rate of premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by at least 20% by 2030, Gauden Galea, Director of the Division of Non-communicable Diseases and Life-course at WHO/Europe, told reporters in Yerevan on Monday.
YEREVAN, March 20. /ARKA/. A plan of actions approved by the Armenian ministry of health and being implemented with the assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) is supposed to cut the rate of premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by at least 20% by 2030, Gauden Galea, Director of the Division of Non-communicable Diseases and Life-course at WHO/Europe, told reporters in Yerevan on Monday.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Armenia, Gauden Galea said the first step is to prevent mortality among the age group from 60 to 69. Most of deaths in this group are from cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks and strokes), diabetes mellitus and chronic lung diseases.
According to the official data for 2012, non-communicable diseases accounted for 92% of all deaths in Armenia. The most frequent causes of death are cardiovascular disease (54%) and malignant tumors (22%). Of particular concern is the fact that 32% of the total are premature deaths, 77% of which result from non-communicable diseases.
According to Galea, the main factors that threaten the health of Armenia’s population are smoking, alcohol, obesity among children, consumption of carbonated sweet drinks, sugar and salt.
He said despite a large amount of work done by WHO with the ministry of health of Armenia to work out strategic plans and develop targets as well as improve the quality of services, cooperation with other agencies is essential for the successful fight against non-communicable diseases. In his words, some of the government agencies, responsible for education, science, agriculture, commerce, and social security assume should assume the responsibility for controlling non-communicable diseases.
"The death rate from these diseases in Armenia can be compared with the average European. Over the past ten years, death rates have been declining, albeit slow. But on the other hand, Armenia is still far from the level of the developed countries of the European Union," Galea said. -0-
Speaking at a roundtable discussion on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Armenia, Gauden Galea said the first step is to prevent mortality among the age group from 60 to 69. Most of deaths in this group are from cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks and strokes), diabetes mellitus and chronic lung diseases.
According to the official data for 2012, non-communicable diseases accounted for 92% of all deaths in Armenia. The most frequent causes of death are cardiovascular disease (54%) and malignant tumors (22%). Of particular concern is the fact that 32% of the total are premature deaths, 77% of which result from non-communicable diseases.
According to Galea, the main factors that threaten the health of Armenia’s population are smoking, alcohol, obesity among children, consumption of carbonated sweet drinks, sugar and salt.
He said despite a large amount of work done by WHO with the ministry of health of Armenia to work out strategic plans and develop targets as well as improve the quality of services, cooperation with other agencies is essential for the successful fight against non-communicable diseases. In his words, some of the government agencies, responsible for education, science, agriculture, commerce, and social security assume should assume the responsibility for controlling non-communicable diseases.
"The death rate from these diseases in Armenia can be compared with the average European. Over the past ten years, death rates have been declining, albeit slow. But on the other hand, Armenia is still far from the level of the developed countries of the European Union," Galea said. -0-
