Worrying trend for Papua New Guineans


Until the 1970s lifestyle diseases were not a public health problem in Papua New Guinea.

However, since then, there has been a rapid increase in these diseases particularly amongst the urban and peri-urban populations.

Lifestyle diseases are associated with tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of physical exercise and consuming foods and drinks high in sugar, fat and salt.

Diseases of concern include diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and certain cancers.

Increasingly Papua New Guineans  and other Pacific islanders) are suffering and dying from these diseases, adding an extra burden to the limited resources currently available to the curative health services.

The PNG Health Department says these diseases are taking a heavy toll on the young, economically productive and elite workforce.

The PNG National Health Plan 2001 - 2010 states that due to the high cost and the high technological nature of the services demanded by these diseases, it is unlikely they will be fully available in PNG in the medium term.

The approaches taken by the health department is to concentrate on:
• community awareness and education.
• prevention of risky behaviours such as tobacco use.
• basic care, treatment and rehabilitation.
• improved surveillance.
• review and updating of legislation.
• staff training.

The plan states the challenges facing PNG are that:
• the incidence of lifestyle diseases is on the increase in Papua New Guinea.
• diet and activity patterns are changing rapidly, particularly in urban and per-urban areas.
• there is widespread use of tobacco, alcohol and betel nut.
• tobacco is becoming more prevalent among women and teenagers.
• screening and control programs do not exist.
• there is inadequate awareness of the value of a balanced and healthy diet.
• there is lack of appropriate knowledge and skills among health workers.

The PNG National Health Plan sets its priorities as:
• reviewing and updating legislation and regulations.
• increasing community awareness and education.
• providing screening and limited and basic diagnostic treatment and rehabilitative services.
• improving surveillance and reporting.
• improving the knowledge and skills of health workers.

The objectives are to reduce the prevalence of diabetes mellitus from 35 to 30 per 100,000 population by 2010; reduce the prevalence of heart attacks (coronary artery disease) by 10 percent from 2 to 1.8 per 100,000 population by 2010; reduce the prevalence of obesity amongst all age groups by 2010; and increase the prevalence of daily exercise amongst all age groups by 2010.

On the legislative front, the plan calls for a review of the Tobacco Products (Health Control) Act (1987) in line with the Global Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

The plan also calls for the development of policies on screening, diagnosis, treatment and food standards and guidelines for staff training.

Since the plan was adopted, the number of reported and confirmed cases of lifestyle diseases have risen to alarming levels and become a major health crisis for PNG.

In the period between 1980 and 2007, PNG has lost hundreds of people through lifestyle diseases.

Among them were some of the most highly educated, experienced people and they  include judges, economists, doctors, lawyers, administrators, private sector executives and more.

Now the Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS, Sasa Zibe has declared “war” on lifestyle diseases.

He wants to put a stop to the unnecessary deaths of people, especially the elite of the nation whose experience, expertise and knowledge are so desperately needed by the nation at this stage of its development.

Zibe has called on all Papua New Guineans to rally behind him and the Department of Health to mark a National Health Week in September ( September 1-5) that will focus on the dreadful lifestyle diseases that are fast killing Papua New Guineans.

Statistics revealed by the minister show that an increasing number of elite Papua New Guineans are dying in their prime age of 50 to 60 years.

This is the period the nation needs the maximum use of their expertise acquired over 30 to 40 years.

The minister said far too many elite Papua New Guineans are not conscious about their diet.

This has resulted in sharp increases in dietary related problems such a hypertension, cardio-vascular and celebro-vascular and acute myocardiac heart diseases—all of which are caused by high fatty and salty diets. 

The habit of smoking also increases the risk significantly.

The fatality rates of Ishaemic heart disease increased from 14 percent in 1999 to 32 percent in 2003 whilst all heart disease fatality rates increased from 12 percent to 28 percent during the same period.

The case of fatality rates for acute myocardiac heart disease has increased from 11 percent in 1999 to 25 percent in 2003.

With high fatty meals, PNG is still going to experience the increasing deaths of its educated elite, Zibe warned. The other major dietary disease on the increase amongst adults in PNG is diabetes.

Zibe has now declared he is clamping down on foods that have high fat contents such as beef, pork, lamb and other meat products and to cut down on fat contents in order to improve the quality of imported meat.

The minister has appealed to all Papua New Guineans to change their eating habits.

“If they are eating more processed foods and drinks, they should now start the year by buying more locally produced foods and fruits, fresh fish, poultry and meat that are of better nutritional value than those imported with high fat content,” he said.

The theme for the 2008 National Health Week as proposed by Minister Zibe is: “ Selling the Human Face of Development”.

He wants Papua New Guineans to know that their health is far more important than anything else in life.

“We are more valuable than gold,” Minister Zibe declared.