NCDs

Pacific guidelines for healthy eating during pregnancy

The Pacific guidelines for healthy eating during pregnancy is a handbook for health professionals and educators designed to maximise health outcomes for both expectant mother and her child.

Dr Si Thu Win Tin, team leader for the Public Health Division’s (PHD) NCD Prevention and Control Programme at the Pacific Community (SPC) says, “To address the NCD crises in the Pacific region, SPC advocates for early interventions to nurture a future population with reduced risks of developing NCDs through policies and guidelines”.

NCDs, climate change, security effects on Pacific private sector discussed

The meeting discussed actions the private sector needs to take in the Pacific region to challenge climate change, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) and other relevant issues. 

The preparatory meeting is held annually ahead of the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting, where Pacific Island leaders consider the recommendations from the preparatory meeting. This year, the Pacific Island Forum Leaders meeting will be held in Nauru on September 4.

The Buttabean helping Pacific people shed weight across Auckland

Pacific people in New Zealand often suffer from high blood pressure and are over-represented in statistics for diabetes, strokes and heart disease.

The boxer, David Letele - known as the Brown Buttabean - used to weigh over 200 kilograms and says he was so fat he couldn't tie his own shoelaces.

This, he said, made him realise the path he was on would lead to an early death.

Mr Letele shed more than a hundred kilogrammes after radically changing his eating habits and doing more regular exercise.

Samoa health official hoping for NCD awareness to kick in

The manager of the Ministry of Health's Renal Division, Christina Poliai, said the numbers seeking dialysis have escalated in the 12 years since dialysis facilities were first available in Samoa.

She said they were up from six in 2005 to 103 now, which has required an additional shift.

Ms Poliai said the numbers needing dialysis could still climb substantially but she hopes the work that has gone into educating people about how to combat NCDs starts to bear fruit.

Tags: 

Coherence between Pacific trade and health policy needed to combat NCDs

RNZ reports heart disease, cancers, lung disease and diabetes are the leading causes of death in the Pacific with most countries losing their productive citizens to NCDs.

The United Nations Development Programme's Ferdinand Strobel says health and trade interests in the region are often developed in silos and end up undermining each other’s' efforts.

He said with the right legal framework they could be made to work together to help in the fight against NCDs.

Pasifika Plates: promoting healthy Pacific food

The Pasifika Plates cookbook was launched in Tonga yesterday at a high-level summit examining responses to the NCD crisis in the Pacific region.

Up to 75 per cent of deaths in Pacific countries are related to NCDs, such as diabetes and heart diseases, with unhealthy diets and lifestyles seen as important contributing factors.

Role of the church crucial in the fight against NCD epidemic in the Pacific

“The role of the church and the voice of church leaders is extremely important. In the Pacific and here in Tonga, food is offered as part of hospitality. I think the issue here is what is being offered. In NZ, there was a movement in the marae for healthy kae, healthy food. We can have that here where we serve healthy cooked food, vegetables and fruits.

King Tupou VI echoed the same sentiments – laying down the challenge that without the churches co-operation, the Pacific’s push to address NCDs will be more difficult.

Samoa to up taxes to combat NCDs

According to RNZI, the Minister of Finance, Sili Epa Tuioti, said too many Samoans had suffered damage to their health.

The National Health Services will get $US35 million dollars of the 44 million allocated to health in new national Budget.

It includes three million for the National Kidney Foundation and $2.5 million for the overseas medical treatment scheme.

The budget has also proposed increasing taxes on tobacco and alcohol.

     

Pacific losing battle against NCDs

Seventy five percent of all deaths in the Pacific are NCD-related and this has even been linked to the decline in life expectancy in some countries.

According to RNZI, the Director General of the SPC said countries are not doing enough to combat the epidemic.

Credible data vital for NCD control - Samoa PM

Since 2010 Samoa and American Samoa have met each year to review the rate of NCDs in each country to discuss response plans and to draw up policies to combat the lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

The summit brings together medical personnel, community leaders and politicians.

Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi gave the keynote address and says concrete, accurate and up to date data is most important.

Tags: