Around 70% of annual deaths in Bangladesh are caused by noncommunicable diseases, Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said.
The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar held at a Dhaka hotel on Thursday.
“Every year a million people in the country die of natural causes, and of them 70% die of noncommunicable diseases. Non-transmissible ailments claim 1,900 lives daily,” he said.
The country’s healthcare system had kept contagious diseases in check, but the number of patients suffering from noncommunicable diseases had increased, the minister added.
File photo of Health Minister Zahid Maleque Dhaka TribuneHe singled out pollution as a big reason for the deaths, and said lifestyle and diet were also contributing factors.The number of people with mental illnesses was also increasing, he said, adding that treatment of such afflictions was expensive.
The health directorate had made significant headway, but issues had also increased, Maleque said.
Also Read - Non-communicable diseases claim 10-20 times more Bangladeshi lives than Covid, say experts
“Preparations were made to deal with infectious diseases. We are dealing with TB, cholera and diarrhea. These diseases are now under control,” he said.
“Good healthcare requires infrastructure, medicines and health workers. Better service requires research. Correct decisions are made through research, and it also makes policy-making easier.”