PESHAWAR: Experts at a seminar called upon policymakers to focus on strengthening primary healthcare to put brakes on non-communicable diseases, which accounted for 74 per cent of the worldwide mortalities.

“Of 40 million annual deaths, 77 per cent occurs in middle income countries like Pakistan. Most of the deaths are preventable provided we control use of tobacco, inculcate the habit of exercise and take steps to control air pollution,” Dr Zafar Mirza, former federal health minister, told participants of the four-day international public health conference at Khyber Medical University here on Thursday.

He said that every third adult person of 18 years had hypertension while every fourth above 20 years suffered from type-2 diabetes that could be avoided. World Health Organisation says that 90pc of essential health services should be made available at primary healthcare facilities.

KMU’s Dr Khalid Rehman said that innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence could be effectively utilised to tackle the threats posed by climatic change and lessen burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). “Prevention is far better than treatment for which we need to make our primary health services more effective,” he said.

Prof Zainab Samad from Aga Khan University Karachi said that life expectancy could be increased in Pakistan from 68 to 80 years by adopting healthy habits as lack of physical inactivity was causing host of NCDs that were preventable. “Low health literacy is the main issue haunting people physically as well as economically,” she said.

The director of Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Dr Aakifullah Khan said that only 20 pc cancer cases were reported in Pakistan. He stressed the need for adopting evidence-based policy to cope with the number of cancer patients. He said that there were five hospitals run by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but more facilities were required in view of the growing number of patients in the province.

KMU Vice-chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq said that people preferred to visit tertiary care hospitals despite the fact the most health problems could be addressed at basic health unit and rural health centre.

“We are ready to assist government in shaping the health system under which the quantum of diseases can be lessened a great deal,” he said.

Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali said that they were launching campaigns at educational institutions on May 1 to scale up awareness regarding causes of NCDs. “The prevalence of 30pc diabetes is alarming and we need to work as a team to overcome the situation. We want to work in collaboration with institutions,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 19th, 2024