NCD Alliance Nigeria canvasses healthy lifestyle to curb sudden deaths  

A Public Health Physician, Dr. Adeniyi Samuel Oginni has admonished Nigerians to imbibe healthy lifestyle as a panacea to reduce sudden deaths which is rampant among the middle age in the country.

He said 39.5 million people die from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) every year and that the death due to NCDs constitutes 65% of global deaths. He added that NCDs are the number one cause of death and disability worldwide.

This was the thrust of the activities marking the 2019 Global Week for Action on Non-Communicable Diseases held in Osogbo, Osun State capital with the theme: “Ensuring Healthy Lives for all: NCDs and Universal Health Coverage”.

Oginni who is the Executive Secretary of Osun Health Insurance Agency and Lead Person of NCD Alliance Nigeria in the state said 14 of the 36million (38.9%) are people who die too young between the ages of 30-70 years.

He identified smoking of tobacco, harmful alcohol intake, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet as major NCDs risk factors and admonished Nigerians to amend their lifestyle and imbibe healthy living.

He also stated that cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, cancer, diabetes mellitus, chronic respiratory diseases sickle cell disease, mental disorders are major NCDs in Nigeria and maintained that all hands must be on deck to arrest and overcome the scourge of NCDs.

The NCD Alliance Nigeria team, led by Oginni took the advocacy to the Osun State House of Assembly to get the buy-in of the lawmakers in the state.

The team also stormed the orientation camp of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) where over 2000 corps members were sensitised on issues around NCDs.

Oginni said “Low and Middle-income countries bear 80% of the burden of premature deaths with most deaths occurring in the 40s and 50s age bracket. Most of these premature deaths are preventable through strengthened and responsive health systems, and public policies in sectors outside health."

He said necessary advocacy, broader health and developmental agenda, enhanced governance to integrate the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases into health-planning processes and development plans, strengthening national Non-communicable diseases programmes are some of the ways to address the scourge of NCDs in Nigeria.

The Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Mr Timothy Owoeye in his response during the advocacy visit assured Oginni and his team from the NCD Alliance that the legislature would provide necessary supports towards the realization of the goals of the Global Week for Action on Non-Communicable Diseases.

Also, over 200 youth corps members volunteered to be Healthy Lifestyle Ambassadors who will be supported by the Alliance to establish Healthy Lifestyle Clubs in their places of primary assignment.

The team also took the campaign on NCDs to RAVE 91.7 FM this morning to educate people of the state on the scourge while a focus group discussion with persons living with NCDs at Owode-Ede Primary Health Centre would round off the activities this Saturday.