On November 14-15, Ukraine's first National Forum on Noncommunicable Diseases was held in Kyiv. The event was organized by the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Act for Health” together with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to bring together all partners and stakeholders to jointly combat NCDs.
Representatives of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Verkhovna Rada, the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, regional authorities, international organizations, medical andeducational communities, and communities discussed the results of the implementation of the National Action Plan on Noncommunicable Diseases and the introduction of the Healthy School Model in educational institutions, the feasibility of investing in the prevention and control of NCDs, and reviewed successful projects and the experience of community representatives in implementing best practices for the prevention and early detection of NCDs. Minister of Health Viktor Lyashko emphasized the importance of investment in NCD prevention.
Міністр охорони здоров’я Віктор Ляшко наголосив на важливості інвестицій для профілактики НІЗ.
«It's a vicious circle—the less we invest in prevention, the more health problems related to NCDs we'll have. This will mean we'll have to invest more in medical care and treatment. However, according to WHO data, an investment of only US$0.84 per person per year in the fight against non-communicable diseases could save seven million lives in low- and lower-middle-income countries by the end of this decade,» the head of the Ministry of Health emphasized.
During the National NCD Forum, health economist Kelsey Vaughan presented the results of a study conducted as part of the Ukrainian-Swiss project «Act for Health» in four pilot oblasts of Ukraine. The aim of the study was to assess the economic effectiveness of interventions to combat NCDs in Ukraine, in particular to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the impact of NCDs on public health and the economy in the Lviv, Rivne, Poltava, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, as well as to develop recommendations for the prevention of NCDs.
Kelsey Vaughan noted that in 2022, 59,000 people died from cardiovascular disease and diabetes, resulting in the loss of more than 1 million years of healthy life (DALY), including 211,000 years of life with disability. The economic losses from the incapacity or limited capacity of people with CVD and diabetes in 2022 amounted to approximately US$2.1 billion.
The study showed that if we invest in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes today, the return on these investments will be about $12-14 for every dollar invested now.
«Over the course of 10 years, the expansion of medical and political interventions will prevent more than 40,000 strokes, 57,000 cases of ischemic heart disease, and 56,000 deaths in the four pilot regions of the project. Reducing morbidity will provide more than a million healthy years of life overall,» the researcher emphasized. Deputy Director General of the Public Health Center Anna Andrushchak added that, according to the Ministry of Health's order, the priority areas for the development of healthcare for 2023-2025 include prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of non-communicable diseases. At the same time, Anna Andrushchak noted that the most effective way to reduce the burden of NCDs is to prevent their development by addressing behavioral risk factors.
Anna Andrushchak, Deputy Director General of the Center for Public Health, added that, according to the Ministry of Health's order, the priority areas for healthcare development from 2023 to 2025 include the prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of non-communicable diseases. She noted that the most effective way to reduce the burden of NCDs is to prevent their development by addressing behavioural risk factors.
«According to the STEPS study conducted in 2019, 34.8% of respondents have high blood pressure or hypertension, and 59.1% were overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2). 33.9% of the population aged 18–69 are active smokers. And 19.7% consumed 6 or more doses of alcohol per episode of consumption. All of these are risk factors for non-communicable diseases,» added Anna Andrushchak.
In addition, participants of the National NCD Forum discussed the model of a healthy school, the concept of a healthy workplace, and learned about best practices in NCD prevention and control at the community level.
«The Ukrainian-Swiss project «Act for Health» works in many areas related to health policies and services, the implementation of the Healthy School Model, humanitarian support for the population, and the creation of communication campaigns to change people's behavior. To reduce premature mortality, morbidity, and disability from non-communicable diseases, we involve not only the health sector, but also educational organizations, social services, academic institutions, regional disease control and prevention centers, and we also work at the community level,» adds the head of the«Act for Health» project Juma Khudonazarov.
NCDs are the leading cause of death worldwide. In Ukraine, NCDs account for 91% of all deaths. Non-communicable diseases can develop in people of any age and gender, and have a significant impact on the quality and duration of life, placing a heavy burden on the country's healthcare system and economy.
Presentations and discussions from both days of the Forum can be viewed at the following links:
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