Doctors in the country have expressed worries over the rise in non-communicable diseases in Nigeria and said the trend was a development that needed an urgent attention.The public health physicians raised the alarm in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital at the opening of the 33rd National Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of their association, held at the Owolabi Hall of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD).
At the conference with the theme: “Non-Communicable Disease Burden: Health System Preparedness in Nigeria,” they said “there has been growing burden of NCDs and the World Economic Forum has reported it as leading macro economic risk at global level.”
Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the Scientific Conference, Dr Olusegun Elegbede, said on the occasion that the change in lifestyle of people and economic recession were among the major culprit in the rising cases of NCDs.
According to Elegbede, “there is evidence that NCDs are undermining the attainment of Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals. He said: “In addition, changes in lifestyles and in the environment have increased the morbidity and mortality rates due to NCDs.”
National Chairman of APHPN, Professor Tanimola Akande, in his speech, said “the conference offered another opportunity to network and rub minds on burning public health issues in Nigeria and the strategies for advancing public health practice in Nigeria.”
Source:MWN
