Brunei Darussalam is facing a rapidly ageing population and with that the escalation of non- communicable diseases (NCD) potentially will impact the country’s socio-economic development negatively.
The consequences will not only impact on national health budget but will also compromise the quality of life in times to come.
The growing concern over the ageing population and escalation of NCDs in the Sultanate wasBhighlighted by Acting Director of Policy and Planning Department at the Ministry of Health (MoH) Noresamsiah binti Haji Mohd Hussin during the opening session of the third National Health and Nutritional Status Survey (NHANSS-3) 2023 – Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Component, Training the Trainers Workshop and Pretest yesterday.
Organised by the MoH, the workshop was held at the Coconut Bay Lodge, Beribi. UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Statistics and Monitoring Specialists and MICS Coordinator Dr Jay Vasudevan facilitated the workshop.
The NHANSS-3 began on November 2 by the MoH, in collaboration with Universiti Brunei Darussalam, World Health Organization and UNICEF.
NHANSS objectives are to assess the prevalence and trends of NCDs, its risk factors including high blood pressure, diabetes, high levels of cholesterol, obesity, tobacco use, physical inactivity, diet, alcohol consumption; and assess the health and nutrition status of children and women in the country.
The NHANSS-3 will enable the MoH to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of current strategies and interventions in preventing NCDs and their risk factors.
It will also allow the ministry to assess its progress in achieving national health and nutrition related targets and goals. – James Kon
