Non-communicable diseases: Health experts call for nat’l strategy to combat growing crisis

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become a health emergency in Bangladesh, necessitating a national strategy focused on prevention, early detection, and integrated risk management.

This was the key takeaway from a multi-stakeholder health debate held at the CIRDAP auditorium today (17 March), organised by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Forum with support from UNICEF.

NCDs, including hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory diseases, now account for 70% of annual deaths and are increasingly affecting young people and children. Health experts at the event stressed the need to integrate NCD management into primary healthcare by promoting healthier lifestyles, ensuring early detection, and strengthening risk management.

Dr MA Faiz, former director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), said, "We can't reduce heart attacks without properly controlling hypertension and diabetes. We consume 3 to 4 times more salt than we should. These are simple issues, but we have failed to raise awareness about them."

The introduction of NCD corners in upazila health complexes was discussed as a positive step, though challenges remain due to shortages of medicines and a lack of awareness.

Dr Syed Zakir Hossain from DGHS also stressed the importance of promoting healthy habits, saying "We can help people with pre-diabetes by promoting healthy habits and lifestyle changes."

Dr Aliya Naheed from icddr,b highlighted the importance of early intervention. "We should start prevention efforts in schools so students learn to make healthier lifestyle choices," she said.

Dr Imran Ahmed Chowdhury from BRAC called for improved government coordination. "Creating an NCD consortium and forum will bring all stakeholders together under one platform, ensuring a more organised and effective approach," he said.

Dr Aminul Hasan underscored the importance of collaborating with the private sector. "We need better collaboration to get a complete picture of the situation," he said.

Other health expert recommendations included shifting some healthcare tasks to community health workers, enforcing stricter rules on unhealthy food advertising, and developing financial models to make medicines more affordable.

In his closing remarks, PPRC Executive Chairman and UHC Forum Convener Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman who chaired and moderated the event, stressed the importance of a unified, systemic solution.

"Behavioural change comes from ongoing awareness efforts, not fear-based messaging. A nationwide social campaign, like the successful oral saline initiative, is crucial for engaging communities and creating lasting change," he said.

He also highlighted the role of Bangladesh's strong pharmaceutical industry in ensuring a steady supply of essential medicines. "A well-planned, multi-sector approach is key to effectively addressing the rising burden of NCDs," he concluded.