Seychelles health experts call for policies to make healthy food more affordable
Health officials in Seychelles are calling for tax and trade policies that make healthy foods more affordable and accessible, as well as the development of safe cycle paths and sidewalks to get people more active in a bid to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The call was made on Tuesday at the Sheikh Khalifa Diagnostic Centre of the Seychelles Hospital, after the presentation of the results of the latest survey on cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases.
NCDs are those that are not transmitted through infections from person to person, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
The study, conducted from August 16 to December 17, 2023, assessed the distribution of health behaviors, diet and major risk factors across the entire Seychelles population.
A random selection of 1,205 people aged 18 to 74 living on the three main islands, Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, provided information on their behaviour and lifestyle in relation to non-communicable diseases in the country.
In his remarks to launch the dialogue among the participants in the presentation, Public Health Commissioner Dr Jude Gedeon said that “the key findings show both progress and challenges – while socio-economic indicators are promising, some risk factors persist and require urgent attention.”
Although the study found a decrease in the number of smokers, it also revealed a “sharply increasing prevalence of obesity as well as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,” he added.
Presenting the results of the latest survey, cardiovascular health consultant Dr Pascal Bovet revealed that non-communicable diseases were attributed to 60% of deaths in the island nation.
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“We also found that people need more awareness, especially around high blood pressure,” Bovet said.
Despite popular belief that people can tell when their blood pressure is too high, the disease has no symptoms.
According to Gedeon, this is “the reason why people rarely bother to check if they feel well. The study highlights gaps in awareness, treatment and control of NCD risk factors.”
In the case of the increase in obesity from 47% in 1989 to 78% in 2023, Bovet recommended medical assistance for cases with high cardiovascular risk such as bariatric surgery. He added that a ban on advertising unhealthy foods as well as cigarettes and alcohol would also help reduce their consumption.
Representatives at the meeting came from different sectors, including the environment and non-governmental organizations. “You are all involved in policy-making in one way or another and these findings will help inform policies and guide programmatic actions,” Mr. Bovet said.
The presentation of the results is the first in a series aimed at sharing what the team observed in the study.
“We hope that public awareness will lead to changes and results, by providing effective interventions,” Gedeon said.
The report was finalised in April and the findings were presented to the Council of Ministers in June. The study is available on the Ministry of Health website.
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