Youth bear 60% of non-communicable disease burden

Ministry of Health head of non-communicable disease and mental health Dr. Jonathan Chiwanda has said people aged below 40 are bearing 60 percent of the non-communicable disease burden.

He said this on Friday on the sidelines of the launch of the Else Kroner  Malawi Child Health Centre in Blantyre which seeks to improve management of non-communicable disease and access to care and support.

Said Chiwanda: “We have got people who after being treated of infectious diseases, end up dying of non-infectious diseases and more than 60 percent of the people with non-communicable diseases are people below the age of 40. These include children.”

He commended the Paediatrics and Child Health Association (Pacha) for partnering with Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, German charity Else Kroner Fresenius Foundation and University of Witten/Herdecke for the 2 million euros (about K 2.1 billion) five-year project that will support the Ministry of Health’s effort in improving paediatric non-communicable disease care in the country.

Pacha vice-president Dr. Emmie Mbale said the project will strengthen care of non-communicable diseases, starting with Queen Elizabeth, Kamuzu, Zomba and Mzuzu central hospitals.

Kamuzu University of Health Sciences acting executive dean for the School of Maternal Neonatal and Reproductive Health Dr. Elizabeth Chodzadza, said the tertiary institution will collaborate in the project by offering training in management of non-communicable diseases to its students.

Else Kroner Fresenius Foundation representative responsible for the humanitarian funding Dr. Jochen Bizter said the will provide funding for various components of the project and receive periodical reports from the implementing agencies.