A Quezon City-based group of tobacco victims has expressed fears over reports reveled by international experts that one every three Filipinos die before reaching the age of 70 due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Emer Rojas, president of the New Vois Association of the Philippines (NVAP), said it is worrisome that the threat of NCDs, including those brought by tobacco use, has remained despite the recent introduction of tobacco control initiatives.
“We are deeply worried of the report by the teams from the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO) regarding how NCDs adversely affect Filipinos,” said Rojas.
Rojas maintained that it is simply unacceptable that one in three Filipinos die prematurely from diseases that can be prevented.
In particular, the throat cancer survivor pointed at tobacco use as being one of the foremost risks for NCDs.
“The Philippine government has introduced numerous policies with the end goal of minimizing, if not eliminating, the health threat of cigarette smoking. Yet, it remains until now,” lamented Rojas.
Earlier, experts from the UN and WHO made an assessment of the NCD prevalence in the country and estimated that close to one in three people in the Philippines will die before the age of 70 from an NCD.
The international health experts said Filipinos are likely to die from NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases.
The UN and WHO experts cited the continued presence of risk factors, such as tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and the harmful use of alcohol, as being among the causes of NCDs.
According to a report by the World Bank Group Global Tobacco Control Program, increasing excise tax rates on tobacco will reduce its affordability and, thereby, lower its consumption. (Chito Chavez)
