Lifestyle diseases, the most notable being diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and stroke continue to take their toll not only on individuals, but the country's economy.
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report released in April, diabetes cases have risen globally. The WHO report says while in 1980 there were 108 million diabetic people worldwide, the number had gone up by 8.5 per cent in 2014 to reach 422 million people.