Mr. Bac made the statement at the meeting on implementation of project to monitor high blood pressure and diabetes in commune clinics and increase information of cutting daily intake of salt to prevent high blood pressure.
He added that cardiovascular diseases are common non-communicable diseases in the country.
Worse, high blood pressure and diabetes are major cause of heart disease. According to an estimation, the country has 12 million people with high blood pressure yet just 43 percent of them know their disease while just 14 percent of them are undergoing treatment.
Vietnam has over 3 million diabetes people; however, 29 percent of them receive treatment. Smoking, drinking, less vegetable consumption and excessive salt consumption as well as lack of exercise are risky factors of developing type 2 diabetes.
Noticeably, Excessive salt consumption increases risk of non-communicable diseases. Vietnamese people have a salt intake twice as high as WHO’s daily recommendation.
Accordingly, WHO Representative in Vietnam Dr. Kidong Park said that WHO has been helping Vietnam to reduce burden and deaths caused by non-communicable diseases; especially, WHO aims to raise commune medical clinics in 11 cities and provinces in treating high blood pressure and diabetes. In next time, WHO will support 10 other cities and provinces.
