1.2 Establish and strengthen national policies and plans for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCD)
In order to strengthen the prevention and control of NCDs, the Ministry has developed a national policy framework of laws, directives and regulations. These are designed to protect public health through measures such as restrictions on smoking in public and other designated areas, ensuring food safety and the labelling of food and drinks so that purchasers are aware of the content of what they are buying. Other measures will include fiscal policies that encourage the consumption of healthy goods over unhealthy ones. To ensure a comprehensive approach to disease prevention and control, the Ministry will focus on taking consultative measures to encourage participation and endorsement by representatives of key sectors in the policy making process.
Actions required for improvement:
• Operate 10 specialised NCD clinics in primary care setting by end of 2012
• Implementation the national policy framework for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases for the coming 15 years to reduce the current percentage of mortality rate by 25% for the age group of 30-70 years.
• Establish intra-sectoral committee for NCD by 2011 in order to coordinate and monitor activities and programs related to NCDs
• Develop and commence implementation of policies for food labelling and nutrition by 2014
• Implement policy of decrease intake of salt-containing foods, completely stop of using hydrogenated cooking oil and control of advertising and marketing of non-healthy food in the community and in particular among children and adolescents
1.3 Promote healthy lifestyles to reduce non-communicable diseases
Motivating, educating and supporting individuals and families to make healthy choices in their daily lives are crucial to reducing the incidence of noncommunicable diseases. Health promotion is an integral part of all health services and is a shared responsibility between individuals, community groups, health professionals, health service providers, social insurance systems, the government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
In the transition towards a new health system there is a need to refocus public health action and reorient the healthcare system as a whole. This involves more than modifying health delivery systems; it requires a rethinking of the traditional role of health services, which involves not only treating disease but also enabling people to control and improve their health. The task involves orienting the healthcare providers as well as the public about the social determinants of health, such as healthy literacy, physical and social environment, working condition, personal health practice and encouraging individual behaviour change. It also involves empowering people to change the environments that constrain or support their overall health. Health services must include a broad range of approaches to ensure that social needs and environmental problems are not viewed as medical problems requiring medical solutions.
Under the leadership of the MOH, it is proposed to develop and implement a national action plan that sets out different programmes, time frames and performance indicators needed to create and maintain an environment, which encourages the population to follow a healthy lifestyle. The health promotion plan to be executed by the Ministry will provide advice and raise public awareness of, for example, the consequences of smoking, lack of regular exercise, unhealthy diet and other hazardous lifestyle choices.
The approach will be risk-based and focused on a comprehensive risk analysis, mainly in order to promote community-based initiatives for prevention of NCDs. The programmes will be geared towards the youth with specific health promotion strategies covering school health programmes.
Actions required for improvement:
• Develop National Action Plan to encourage healthy lifestyles, covering a number of programmes, including timeframes and KPIs for the coming 15 year for the purpose of:
1- To reduce the current prevalence of obesity
2- To deduce the prevalence of (sedentary lifestyle) among adults (> 18 years) by 10% of the current percentage
3- To deduce the prevalence of nicotine consumption among smokers at age of 15 years and above by 30% from the current percentage
4- To reduce intake of salt-containing foods to less than 5 grams daily by 30% among adults (>18 years)
5- Completely prohibition of partially hydrogenated oil in food production
6- To increase the % of people consuming fruit and vegetables to 3-5 intakes everyday by 30% of the current percentage
• Introduce health-enhancing healthy diet programmes/initiatives in coordination with all sectors in order to increase the percentage of people consuming fruits and vegetable more than once a day from the current prevalence of 50% to the target of 53% by the end of 2016
• Expand dental promotion program in five health centres to cover 30% of target group by 2012
• Continue strengthening the health promotion programs at schools and work places
