Government launches “Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases in Hong Kong”

4 May 2018

     Announcing the key elements of the “Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases in Hong Kong” (SAP) at the press conference on May 4, the Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan, said that similar to many countries and jurisdictions, Hong Kong faces an increasing problem of NCDs, which is compounded by an ageing population. In 2016, the major NCDs, namely cancers, cardiovascular diseases including heart diseases and stroke, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases accounted for about 55 per cent of all registered deaths. In the same year, NCDs caused about 104 600 potential years of life lost before the age of 70.

　　

     Dr Chan expressed that at least a third of NCDs can be prevented through adopting a healthy lifestyle. A growing body of evidence is available to show that leading causes and underlying risk factors for NCDs can be effectively tackled through population-based interventions that encourage healthy lifestyles. She pointed out that to align with the WHO's Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCD 2013-2020, the SAP in Hong Kong will focus on four NCDs (namely cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases) and four shared behavioural risk factors (namely unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol) that are potentially preventable or modifiable and which would have a significant impact on population health.

     The SAP sets out the following nine health targets to be achieved by 2025:

Target 1: A 25 per cent relative reduction in risk of premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, or chronic
               respiratory diseases
Target 2: At least a 10 per cent relative reduction in the prevalence of binge drinking and harmful use of alcohol (harmful
               drinking/alcohol dependence) among adults and in the prevalence of drinking among youths
Target 3: A 10 per cent relative reduction in prevalence of insufficient physical activity among adolescents and adults
Target 4: A 30 per cent relative reduction in mean population daily intake of salt/sodium
Target 5: A 30 per cent relative reduction in prevalence of current tobacco use in persons aged 15+ years
Target 6: Contain the prevalence of raised blood pressure
Target 7: Halt the rise in diabetes and obesity
Target 8: Prevent heart attacks and strokes through drug therapy and counselling
Target 9: Improve availability of affordable basic technologies and essential medicines to treat major NCDs

     To reach the targets, new strategic directions need to be adopted to accelerate the actions on the NCD reduction agenda. The Government will demonstrate leadership in many ways, such as by transforming schools into healthy settings for students' development, creating supportive physical and social environments for physical activity, fostering effective partnerships with primary care professionals, and keeping in view accumulating evidence and overseas experience on interventions recommended by the WHO. For access to the SAP document and more information, please visit www.change4health.gov.hk/en/saptowards2025.

Source: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – Press Releases
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201805/04/P2018050400399.htm?fontSize=1