A national study shows that non-communicable diseases (NCD) has caused 79% of deaths every year.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that lifestyle choices have led to NCD becoming the number one killer in the country.
Health authorities stated that the increase of NCD in Vanuatu is no longer a health concern but a national crisis.
According to the National Coordinator of the NCD Unit under the MOH, Gibson Ala, it is a “multisectoral issue” and today’s lifestyle is the main cause of the increase.
“It should be approached in different ways in multisectoral, meaning to involve different stakeholders at every means.”
The Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), Antoine Ravo, said that even though there is a lot of awareness and promotion of local food through DARD, it is still the choice of each individual.
“This commitment must start at home depending on the different mindset of any individuals. Government through the agricultural department can do a lot of awareness or promotions of healthy eating habits, but the choice remains with each family,” said Ravo.
“It depends on several factors which includes pricing of goods, whether there is available space for backyard gardening or could be the higher standard of living.”
VBTC News understands that parliament passed amendments to import duties in previous years, increasing taxes on certain items such as noodles, cigarettes, and sugary juices, while also banning imports on some cereals.
The intention behind the higher taxes was to encourage people to cut back on their consumption of these products as they highly contribute to NCD.
Five major lifestyle-related risk factors have been identified: unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol and stress that leads to NCD.
Another report stated smoking in particular with 311 lives taken away each year in Vanuatu and also tobacco, which causes cancer.
Mr. Ala also said that even though most local foods are healthy, how we eat, what we eat and how much we eat are just as important.
“Half of the plate should be greens and vegetables, the other is carbohydrate like taro, yam and the most sustainable which is rice, and meat should be small.”
He said urban living and globalization has reshaped eating diets and lifestyle, making it hard for people to keep traditional eating habits.
“Unlike in the past, these days we don’t need to walk to go see someone. We can just give them a call or chat on the phone. These days, you can only get on a truck or bus to go to work, or you can go grab fast food if you don’t have enough time to cook,” said Ala.
Authorities said this is a wake-up call for everyone to rethink about how to live a healthy and longer life.
