Healthy lifestyle: our prime minister is an example to all the guys
The First Global Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Noncommunicable Diseases, held under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO), began its work in Moscow yesterday.
The conference is attended by delegations from 167 WHO member countries, including the USA, Germany, India, Belgium, Mexico, etc., 94 of them are headed by Ministers of Health.
– It is the first time that events of this scale are being held in Russia, – said Tatyana Golikova, Minister of Health and Social Development, in her speech. – The problems discussed here are relevant for the whole world, since non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular, oncological and respiratory diseases make the largest contribution to the structure of mortality and account for 60% of the causes of all premature deaths. Russia is working very closely with WHO on the fight against noncommunicable diseases, following the results of this conference, a declaration will be adopted that will determine the future development of the world's health systems and help shape policies aimed at reducing NCDs among the population.
– About 60 million people die every year on the planet, 63% (36 million) of them die due to the development of non–communicable diseases, 9 million of these 63% die prematurely before reaching the age of 60, – added WHO Director General Margaret Chan. - Now we are dealing with a generation in which children die before their parents – it's very scary. If we don't take action, by 2013 the proportion of people dying from NCDs will increase from 63% to 75%. This means that financial losses on the part of the economy due to a decrease in the number of able-bodied population will be measured in billions of dollars, and millions of people will die – are we ready for this? I think not.
According to the participants of the conference, approaches to the fight against non-communicable diseases should be determined based on an understanding of the causes of their occurrence. The first factor is a hereditary predisposition. Modern medicine has enough opportunities to control and take into account this factor through screening systems, especially in the early stages of human life. This will allow us to move to the paradigm of "health management" throughout a person's life.
– The peculiarity of non–communicable diseases is that most of the risk factors lie in the state of the natural environment, the social environment, in the lifestyle of the person himself (smoking, alcohol abuse, poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle), - continued Tatiana Golikova. – Socio-economic development has a strong impact on the spread of non-communicable diseases: up to 90% of deaths from them occur in low- and middle-income countries. But even in these countries, the problems are not only a lack of financial resources, but also in the organization of health care. In order to reverse the trend of the growth of these diseases, it is necessary to direct political will and organizational efforts to mass prevention programs, the formation of habits for a healthy lifestyle, to reorient healthcare to work with still healthy people.
"The experience of our state and many other countries shows that the problem of the spread of NCDs can be effectively combated by combining the efforts of the state, business, the public and the media, since healthcare is a priority of the state policy of the Russian Federation," concluded Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
After participating in the First Global Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyle and Non-communicable Diseases, Putin, accompanied by Tatiana Golikova and Margaret Chen, walked through the exhibition. In particular, he was shown an information stand telling about WHO's activities, as well as several specialized stands focused on diagnostics in specific areas.
Putin stopped at the dental chair where one of the patients was being examined. The head of government noted with a smile that seven doctors worked around the "patient".
The prime minister was also shown equipment for rapid examinations in the field of cardiology, as well as a device for analyzing the condition of the lungs. Putin himself decided to undergo a quick examination and, according to the instructions, took a deep breath into a special tube of the device. According to the doctor, the prime minister's indicators are in the "green" zone, that is, his lungs are healthy and do not contain nicotine. As you know, Putin does not smoke.
Thanking for the tour, the Head of government wished the conference participants successful work and left the exhibition.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru29.04.2011