Wittaya calls for global attack on chronic disease
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Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri Friday urged an international effort, including among the 10 Asean countries, to implement measures to curb noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) - such as coronary vascular disease, cancer and diabetes.
He said these diseases cause immense losses 41 million people will die from them in the next three years.
The NCDs were spreading and claimed 35 million lives in 2005, of whom 80 per cent – many aged 3069 – were in developing and underdeveloped countries.
NCDs caused the majority of overall deaths in Thailand (threequarters) and are currently costing the country around Bt140 billion each year, he said.
The Nation
