A network has been set up to tackle non-communicable diseases in
Southeast Asia , according to Singapore ’s Strait Times.
The ASEAN Non-communicable Disease Network, organised by electronics
company Philips, includes health experts from Singapore , Vietnam and
Malaysia who will exchange best practices and ideas on how to
tackle non-communicable diseases, namely diabetes, cancer,
cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory diseases.
According to the daily, information collated from the network will
also be used for a study by the National University of Singapore’s Dr
Jeremy Lim. The study looks at case studies of innovations in the
management of the diseases in different countries.
Research
conducted recently by health experts shows that Southeast Asia faces
an epidemic of chronic non-communicable diseases, responsible for 60
percent of deaths in the region.
The problem stems from tobacco
use, unhealthy diet, and inadequate physical activity. Disadvantaged
populations are the hardest hit, with death rates inversely proportional
to a country’s gross national income.-VNA