Non-communicable diseases in Western Pacific including Phl on the rise — WHO
(Photo courtesy of Pexels)
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Western Pacific Region, including in the Philippines, are on the rise, a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) found.
NCDs like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer now account for nearly nine in 10 deaths in the region, according to WHO.
Filipinos are 24.5 percent likely to die when they reach 30 and 70 years old due to NCDs. This is higher than the regional average of 15.6 percent.
From 651 deaths due to NCDs per 100,000 Filipinos in 2000, the figure rose by almost 10 percent 10 714 deaths per 100,000 by 2021.
"The increase in the mortality burden due to NCDs in the Philippines was substantial," the WHO noted.
The Region is also experiencing rapid population aging as there are now more than 245 million people aged 65 and older -- a number that is projected to double by 2050.
Many older people, the WHO noted, are living with NCDs.
Risk factors for NCDs
The WHO identified that major risk factors for NCDs are alcohol and tobacco use.
Consumption of alcohol in the Region has risen by a whopping 40 percent since 2000, highlighting an ongoing concern for public health.
Meanwhile, although tobacco use declined from 28 percent of adults smoking in 2000 to 22.5 percent in 2022, this was still above the global average of 20.9 percent, according to WHO.
Health coverage for NCDs
Access to essential health services for NCDs did not improve significantly, increasing only slightly from 52 points in 2000 to 58 points in 2010, the WHO further noted.
In the Western Pacific Region, average health spending has increased substantially, tripling from around USD 383 or about P22,000 per person in 2000 to USD 1,336 about P77,00 in 2021.
On average, health spending accounted for 6.6 percent of gross domestic product at the country level in 2000 and rose to 8.2 percent by 2021.
However, the WHO noted, that despite efforts to increase public spending for health, the proportion of people in the Region experiencing catastrophic health expenditure -- defined as spending over 10 percent of their income on healthcare -- has doubled, rising from 9.9 percent in 2000 to 19.8 percent in 2019.