Govt forms high-powered committee to tackle non-communicable diseases

The government has formed a high-powered coordination committee to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are responsible for around three-fourths of annual deaths in the country.

The cabinet secretary will lead the 13-member committee, while the health secretary will serve as its member secretary, according to a Cabinet Division circular issued today.

The committee includes secretaries from the ministries or divisions of home, agriculture, finance, education, railways, youths and sports, fisheries and livestock, food, and the cabinet, as well as the director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The development comes at a time when the country’s health system is grappling with a high prevalence of NCDs, the treatment of which is relatively costly.

The NCDs, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, and kidney disease, account for nearly 71 percent of all deaths in the country, with almost half occurring prematurely, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The committee will provide necessary guidance to the concerned ministries and divisions for preparing and implementing time-bound action plans to prevent and control NCDs.

It will also monitor the implementation of the signed “Joint Declaration” on the prevention and control of NCDs.

In August last year, secretaries from 35 ministries signed a “Joint Declaration on Strengthening Inter-ministerial Collaboration for Multisectoral Action on NCD Prevention and Control”.

The committee will meet quarterly and may invite experts or relevant officials to its meetings, when necessary, read the circular.

The health ministry will provide secretarial support to the committee and, after coordinating overall activities, inform the Cabinet Division accordingly, it said.