By JULIUS PHIRI  –

ZAMBIA’S Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Mwaba Kasese-Bota has called for concerted efforts to combat non-communicable diseases, which are the number one cause of death and disability in the World.
Ambassador Kasese-Bota said the non-communicable diseases were a major challenge to socio-economic development.
Dr Kasese-Bota said non-communicable diseases were no longer diseases of the affluent but were affecting all regardless of social economic status or age.
“Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the number one cause of death and disability in the world,” she said.
The Ambassador was speaking at a panel discussion organized by the Permanent Missions of Zambia and France to the UN in conjunction with the UN Foundation.
This is according to a statement issued yesterday by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the Permanent Mission of the Zambia to the UN Chibaula Silwamba.
Dr Kasese-Bota said Zambia appreciated the preventative measures highlighted in World Health Organisation’s 2008-2013 Action Plan of the Global Strategy for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
“The Zambian Government has placed emphasis on combating non-communicable diseases, including but not limited to cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases,” she said.
She said the services were linked to the Government of Zambia’s strategy of universal health services access for all, provided as close to the family as possible.
The Ambassador said the Zambian Government was developing the non-communicable diseases strategic plan.
The Government, she added, was strengthening physical activities in all schools, community sporting activities, promotion of healthy diets, strengthening enforcement of legislation on tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol as preventative measures.
Dr Kasese-Bota said the Government was putting up an additional 650 health posts to ensure delivery of health services as closer to the families.
“While my country has very noble ambitions of universal health coverage, which caters for provision inclusive of all health conditions for all, we have various challenges of implementation, that include high cost of commodities for NCDs in comparison to non -infectious diseases,” Dr Kasese-Bota said.
She said donor funding had not been sufficient and mainly catered for infectious diseases and not non-communicable diseases.
For Universal Health Coverage to be a reality, Dr Kasese-Bota said there was need for more investment in training of the required human personnel and to enhance diagnostic services.
“Bilateral, multilateral and public private partnerships for health remain critical for universalization of health coverage,” said Dr Kasese-Bota.
The panel discussion preceded a two-day High-Level meeting of UN Member States that discussed global progress in implementing the commitments that Heads of State and Government made in the Political Declaration on prevention and control of Non-Communicable Diseases in September 2011.
A non-communicable disease is a medical condition that is not infectious among people and may be chronic with slow progression or result in quick death.
According to the WHO, Non-Communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, cancer chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, are the leading cause of mortality in the world.