Cabinet secretary calls for multisectoral action to combat non-communicable diseases

Addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is a critical challenge for Bangladesh in ensuring national progress, prosperity, and the healthy development of future generations, Cabinet Secretary Dr Sheikh Md Abdur Rashid said tackling this issue cannot rest solely with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, but requires a coordinated, time-bound, multisectoral action plan.

Dr Rashid made these remarks as the chief guest at a meeting today in the Cabinet Division Secretariat, which focused on defining the implementation strategy for the 'Joint Declaration' on NCD prevention and control. The meeting brought together representatives from five ministries and their affiliated departments responsible for food production and management.

Chaired by Md Sayedur Rahman, Secretary of the Health Services Division, secretaries and senior officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Food, Industry, Commerce, and Fisheries and Livestock, along with department heads, presented their plans and strategies for implementing the declaration.

To this end, a 'Joint Declaration' has been signed with 35 ministries and divisions, which will now take initiatives to implement it. The Health Services Division will coordinate across all ministries, while the Cabinet Division will provide overall guidance. The World Health Organisation and other development partners are to offer technical support.

The discussions prioritised ensuring safe and affordable availability of fruits and vegetables, controlling harmful chemicals and pesticides, promoting alternative crops to tobacco, supporting farmers, stabilising markets and prices, and developing storage infrastructure, including cold storage and transportation.

Consumer protection was another focus, with the mandatory implementation of Front-of-Package Labelling (FOPL), restrictions on marketing unhealthy foods and beverages to children, and strict enforcement of trans fatty acid (TFA) regulations.

The production and safety of animal-sourced foods were also addressed, including promoting sustainable production of safe and nutritious fish, milk, eggs, and lean meat, regulating antibiotics, hormones, and chemicals, strengthening inspection and enforcement, and supporting research and policies for low-salt preservation and export readiness.

Industry-level interventions included ensuring FOPL compliance, encouraging reformulation of packaged foods to reduce salt, sugar, trans fat, and saturated fat, restructuring the sector through incentives, enforcing nutritional standards for imported and exported foods, regulating high-risk food and tobacco products, and initiating port screening.

Dr Rashid underlined that NCD prevention is a collective responsibility, and through coordinated multisectoral efforts, Bangladesh can protect public health while fostering sustainable economic and social development.