REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Minister of Health, Nila F Moeloek, opened the Asean Regional Forum on Non-Communicable Diseases in Jakarta. The event took place on 25th to 27th August 2015 and followed by 125 participants from nine ASEAN countries, namely Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Philippine, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.
"Delegates who attended the event were consisted of government officials and the focal point of non-communicable diseases. NGO, professional organizations, academia, and health officials at the provincial level also presented," she said on Tuesday (25/8).
UN General Assembly high-level meeting in 2011 produced a declaration that sets a high priority of prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. In 2014 world countries were also committed to set a national target of non-communicable disease in 2015.
Some ASEAN countries found it difficult to combat the non-communicable diseases due to the increased incidence of disease and inadequate health systems. In Indonesia there are 7.6 million people with diabetes.
"We have 12.6 million pre-diabetes people. Unfortunately, only less than half of people with diabetes are unaware of their condition, they do not understand the risk factors and behaviors to reduce diabetes," said Nila.
According to the latest survey, the major causes of death in Indonesia, among others, stroke of 21.1 percent, cardiovascular disease of 12.9 percent, and complications of diabetes mellitus of 6.7 percent.