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NCD spread in Samoa reaches crisis point

Samoa’s Associate Minister of Health, Maualaivao Pat Ah Him, says the spread of non-communicable diseases has reached a crisis point and something needs to be done about it.Opening National Health Week, he said the Ministry is doing everything in its power to promote healthier lifestyles.He highlighted the government’s concerns about the increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, kidney failure, gout and many more.A 2002 survey shows that two in every five adults in Samoa are smoking, nearly half of Samoan men and about 15 per cent of women are binge drinking.It also found that one in two adults are doing practically no physical activity and one in ten adults eats virtually no fruit.