Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla has downplayed claims that leading a healthy lifestyle is costly amid growing prevalence of NCDs.
Diabetes is now the leading underlying cause of death in the country.Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla has downplayed claims that leading a healthy lifestyle is costly, while expressing concern over the growing burden of non-communicable diseases on South Africa’s healthcare system.
“When you look at the gender-specific aspects, we see that diabetes is the leading cause of death amongst females at 8.2% in the 2020 stats, having increased from 7.7% in 2018,” he said. “Our primary focus, where we really try to put as much effort as we can we are not always successful, is in prevention.”
He added: “Our focus is not limited to detection of diseases, but also includes health education on risk factors and lifestyle modifications that can prevent the progression of these non-communicable diseases.”Phaahla further said central to the Department of Health’s strategy for addressing NCDs was the strengthening of primary healthcare facilities.
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