Average life expectancy of Sri Lankans will drop unless NCDs are controlled

By Nimal Bandara Herath

There will be a drastic reduction in the average life expectancy of Sri Lankans by 2045 if steps are not taken to control Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Dr. Sunil Bowattage, consultant physician, Kandy General Hospital, told The Island on Friday.He added that until a few decades ago the world was struggling to contain communicable diseases.

“If you look at Sri Lanka, many died of cholera, smallpox, etc. However, with the advances in medical sciences we have been able to reduce the deaths, by communicable diseases, significantly. This is a main reason why life expectancy went up in the 20th century,” he said.

Dr. Bowattage added that in the past few decades, NCDs have become the main cause of deaths. Due to the prevalence of NCDs, life expectancy, in certain countries, has dropped, he said.

“However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), we can prevent 2/3 of NCD deaths by taking necessary action.”

Dr. Bowattage said a massive campaign must be carried out by those in power, with the help of the media, to educate the public on NCDs, how to avoid them and how to control them.

“We see many people with heart issues, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and cancers. We must not be afraid of these. Modern science can address most of these. Bad food habits, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, etc., are the main reasons why people get NCDs. A lot can be achieved with behavioral changes,” he said.

Non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, strokes and cancers, account for nearly 90 percent of the disease burden in Sri Lanka, according to the World Bank.

A large number of persons, with NCD, are not taking prescribed medicines, due to economic difficulties, and thus hospitals are filling up due to complications, Dr. Palitha Rajapaksha, the assistant secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) says.

There were about three million people, over 60 years, and they were the most affected by NCDs, Dr. Rajapaksha said, adding that Sri Lanka had very weak social safety nets and many were at the risk of being reduced to poverty.

Dr. Rajapaksha added that he was attached to the Provincial General Hospital, Badulla, and that all wards there were full of patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions, etc.

“All wards are full. I don’t know what we would do if the number of dengue cases go up. I have been a doctor for many years, but I have never seen such a large number of patients, with NCDs, in hospitals,” he said.