An elderly with heart problems receives medical examination and treatment at hospital. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Bach Mai Hospital incollaboration with Medical Excellence Japan (MEJ) and Economic ResearchInstitute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) on June 27 organised the 2nd Vietnam-Japan conference on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The conference saw the attendance of leadingmedical experts from the two countries, who discussed the current situation,challenges, control strategies, and management of NCDs in three plenarysessions and four thematic sessions about cardiology, stroke, diabetes, andrespiratory.
According to Dr. Tokuaki Shobayashi, who is aformer health official of Japan and now a health policy advisor to Vietnam'sMinistry of Health, although Japan is becoming an aging society, it stillmaintains the highest average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy inthe world.
Japan's national health improvement campaign has been carried out successful and health is one of the biggest concerns for many Japanesecitizens, he said, adding that besides the Government, corporations also have played arole in improving people's health.
Dr. Tran Quoc Bao from the Department of PreventiveMedicine under the Vietnamese Ministry of Health said the burden of the NCDs is very hue. The NCDscause about 80% of deaths in Vietnam; and 41% of deaths occurred before the age of 70. Theleading causes of death are cardiovascular disease, cancers, chronic obstructivepulmonary disease, and diabetes.
The number of people infected withnon-communicable diseases is very large, estimated at over 20 million cases.The rate of hypertension and diabetes has tended to increase over the past tenyears, he said.
According to the official, factors leading to high levels of NCDs aresmoking, drinking alcohol, eating vegetables and fruits insufficiently, eatingtoo much salt, and lack of physical activity. The rate of overweight andobesity has increased rapidly, on average, nearly 1% per year. Dyslipidemia has tended to rise in both men and women in Vietnam.
Associate Professor Dr. Vu Thi Thanh Huyen, alecturer from Hanoi Medical University, said that the NCDs like stroke, cancers, andmental depression are usually found among elderly people. Medical costs for theelderly are 7-10 times higher than for the younger people.
She suggested that there should be studies toassess the healthcare needs of the elderly; gradually develop the geriatricnetwork system; and have preferential policies to encourage businesses to takecare of the elderly./.
