Editorial
0 3 min read

What’s The Reason?

For Increasing Rate Of Noncommunicable Disease

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Md Billal Hossen :
Bangladesh is a developing country. Nowadays its economy is growing faster and the pattern of diet is also changing. As the dietary pattern become changes over time the rate of Noncommunicable Disease (NCDs) is increasing regularly rather than communicable disease. Currently, non-communicable disease are the leading of death in Bangladesh. A non-communicable disease, or NCD, is a medical condition or disease which by definition is non-infectious and cannot be passed from person to person. NCDs may be chronic diseases of long duration and slow progression, or they may result in more rapid death such a sudden stroke. According to World Health Organization (WHO) Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, are collectively responsible for almost 70% of all deaths worldwide. Almost three quarters of all NCD deaths, and 82% of the 16 million people who died prematurely, or before reaching 70 years of age, occur in low- and middle-income countries like Bangladesh. Cardiovascular diseases account for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.0 million), respiratory diseases (3.9 million), and diabetes (1.6 million).

In Bangladesh, the numbers of people suffering from NCDs are rising very rapidly. According to Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHM), some NCDs like stroke, ischaemic heart disease (e.g. hypertension, heart attack), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), diabetes and lung cancer were the main reasons for causing deaths in Bangladesh in 2017. These diseases also caused a significant number of disabilities. Dietary risks, high blood pressure, tobacco, blood sugar, high BMI etc. were among the top contributing factors.
Causes of NCDs in Bangladesh
As the socioeconomic status of our society is developing day by day the lifestyle is also changes. Dietary transition occurs due to the economic stability of Bangladeshi people that’s why they turn from traditional diet rich in cereal and fiber to more Western pattern diet which is high in sugars, saturated fat and red meat. Especially the fast food that we consume every day is the leading cause of NCDs. These diseases are driven by forces that include rapid unplanned urbanization, globalization of unhealthy lifestyles and population ageing. Unhealthy diets and a lack of physical activity may show up in people as raised blood pressure, increased blood glucose, elevated blood lipids and obesity. These are called metabolic risk factors that can lead to cardiovascular disease, the leading NCD in terms of premature deaths.
Risk factor for NCDs
Modifiable risk factor: Tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and the harmful use of alcohol, raised blood pressure, overweight/obesity, hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) and hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the blood) are the modifiable risk factor of NCDs.
Non modifiable risk factor: Age, sex, family history and genetic factors.
Prevention of NCDS
Changing dietary pattern is the key driver for the prevention of NCDs. Reducing the major risk factors for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) – tobacco use, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol – is the focus of WHO’s work to prevent deaths from NCDs. Primarily heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes – are the world’s largest killers, with an estimated 38 million deaths annually. Of these deaths, 16 million are premature (under 70 years of age). If we reduce the global impact of risk factors, we can go a long way to reducing the number of deaths worldwide. Prevention of NCDs is a growing issue: the burden of NCDs falls mainly on developing countries like Bangladesh, where 82% of premature deaths from these diseases occur. Tackling the risk factors will therefore not only save lives; it will also provide a huge boost for the economic development of countries.
The epidemic of NCDs poses devastating health consequences for individuals, families and communities, and threatens to overwhelm health systems. The socioeconomic costs associated with NCDs make the prevention and control of these diseases a major development imperative for the 21st century.

(Md Billal Hossen, Student, Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Biological Science, Islamic University, Bangladesh; e-mail: [email protected])

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