Abstract:
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) present a global public health burden either in terms of direct cost to the society or in terms of loss of disability adjusted life years (DALYs). It is estimated that almost 80 million people in Pakistan are currently suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, osteoporosis, mental disorders etc. and another 8 million are feared to be affected by 2025. The rate of NCDs in Pakistan has progressively increased over the past years and is higher as compared to other Asian countries. According to World Health Organization (WHO), almost 60% of people in Pakistan under the age of 70 years die because of NCDs. The root causes of NCDs include unhealthy dietary habits, lack of physical activity, other lifestyle related behaviours including use of tobacco and alcohol, as well as exposure to environmental contaminants/pollutants, food insecurity, poverty, hunger, and injustice, which require nutritional, political and social actions to eliminate them. The prevalence of these risk factors is increasing at an alarming rate in Pakistan. Nearly 60% of Pakistanis are facing food insecurity, have multiple nutrient deficiencies and indicate a significant decline in their nutritional status. These conditions can lead to serious public health implications and have negative impact on the economic growth and development of Pakistan. The NCDs are largely preventable but require a strong and effective public health approach to manage the epidemic. The government needs to engage the people, communities, and health-care providers to create awareness about the risk and prevention of NCDs. This paper discusses the role of unhealthy dietary habits and other lifestyle behaviours in the prevention and management of NCDs and what nutritional strategies should Pakistan adopt to reduce the burden on NCDs and improve the nutritional and health status of its people.
Page(s):
18-18
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: International Food & Nutrition Conference" August 18th-20th, 2022, University of Swat, Swat (Book of Abstracts), Volume: 1, Issue: 1, Year: 2022