Non-communicable diseases taking toll on young people

Eating habits, lifestyle and town life continue to put young people at risk of contracting heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.

Classified as non-communicable diseases, these ailments are also the leading killers of youths and adolescents who prefer eating french fries, deep-fried chicken and pizza.

What shocks me most is that you will rarely see this segment of the population picking a banana, an apple, a mango or even a packet of milk.

Are they blind? No, they just don't like the healthier options hence the consequences - obesity, heart problems, cancer or diabetes due to high cholesterol in some of their preferred foods.

Two major factors contribute to the incidence of non-communicable diseases.

The first is inadequate financial allocations for treatment of non-communicable diseases. For instance, few public health facilities have equipment for treating cancer.

In private health facilities, cancer treatment is expensive and in many cases, patients are referred to hospitals abroad.

Those who cannot afford the air ticket succumb easily to cancer or even heart attacks.

The second contributor is limited awareness on the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Not many health campaigns with information on non-communicable diseases have been done.

SCHOOL LEVEL

Individual knowledge on what causes obesity, heart disease and diabetes remains low among several communities. At school level, limited programmes exist to address these diseases among learners.

The third contributor is under-prioritization or limited addressing of non-communicable diseases at national and county levels.

These diseases have not been considered a public health issue especially among the youth and adolescents who are susceptible to risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, physical inactivity and unhealthy eating habits.

The fourth factor is alcohol and tobacco use. According to the National Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse, alcohol use in Kenya begins as early as 10 years and a single sitting in a pub may mean an average consumption of six bottles of beer per person.

Finally, physical inactivity is another factor increasing vulnerability to non-communicable diseases especially among youths who allocate little or no time for exercise.

To gradually reduce and eventually eliminate non-communicable diseases, the following approaches are necessary.

First, financial allocations must be made to equip public health facilities with the required screening and treatment equipment as well as medical personnel.

Second, consistent information, education and communication materials on how to prevent non-communicable diseases must be developed and disseminated at all levels, including learning institutions and the workplace.

Third, creating community awareness including door-to-door campaigns will increase the number of people