THE Department of Health announced the opening of the Asean Conference on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare systems in the region.
“This conference is Asean acting as one — governments, partners, communities, and our youth — to make the healthy choice the easy choice for every family,” Health Secretary Jose Pujalte Jr. said in a statement.
NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health conditions remain a threat across the Southeast Asian region.
NCDs are the leading cause of mortality among Asean member states, with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases accounting for 80 percent of NCD-related early deaths, according to 2021 data from the World Health Organization.
