DISEASES SUCH as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes account for almost 90 per cent of deaths in the Republic, according to a report published by the World Health Organisation yesterday.
“Noncommunicable Diseases Country Profile 2011” profiles 193 member countries in terms of disease prevalence, risk factors and each country’s response to what WHO says is “the growing threat posed by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)”.
The report card for Ireland puts us on a par with most other high-income countries: just 13 per cent of deaths here are due to injuries, nutritional conditions and infectious disease.
Some 29 per cent of all deaths are due to cancer, while cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes account for 34 per cent of deaths, according to the report, which is based on figures for 2008.
Overall it found that NCDs account for 87 per cent of all deaths here.
There was some good news for Irish people in the report which found that average blood pressure levels among men and women here have been falling consistently since the 1980s.
Total cholesterol levels dropped even more dramatically over the same time period. However, levels of overweightness as measured by body mass index (BMI) rose steadily while average blood sugar levels in the population also increased, a reflection of higher rates of diabetes.
An analysis of the Republic’s plans for tackling NCDs found that it had an integrated action plan to tackle all areas with the exception of chronic respiratory diseases.
The trends indicate that in many high-income countries, action to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol is having an impact, but there is a need to do more on body mass index and managing diabetes.
One of the findings shows that men and women in low-income countries are about three times more likely to die prematurely of NCDs before the age of 60 than in high-income countries.
A United Nations high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases in New York next Monday and Tuesday will highlight the importance of setting targets for progress.
“This report indicates where each government needs to focus to prevent and treat the four major killers: cancer, heart disease and stroke, lung disease and diabetes,” says Dr Ala Alwan, assistant director-general for Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at WHO.
