HEALTH OFFICIALS and experts at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre have linked the spike in the cases of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) in the country to the growing trend of drug abuse, especially for such substances as alcohol and tobacco.

A recent survey indicated that 60 per cent of Rwandan men above the age of 25 drink alcohol, while 7 per cent of people between 15 and 25 years abuse tobacco.

NCDs are diseases that are non-infectious and non-transmissible among people and include hypertension, cancers, asthma, diabetes, liver disease and kidney disease.

While there has not been a study about the prevalence of these diseases in the country in the recent past, officials have said that reports from hospitals and health centres across the country increasingly show an upward trend of NCDs.

In Rwanda, as is the case in most countries around the world, alcohol and tobacco are hardly considered as drugs, yet research has indicated that the two are actually more dangerous to human life than some illegal drugs. Indeed some researchers have ranked alcohol and tobacco among the ten most lethal substances.

A 2014 World Health Organisation report for Rwanda says that the probability of dying between ages 30 and 70 years from four of the common NCDs is 19 per cent, and that they account for 36 per cent of total deaths in the country.

This constitutes a major threat to the health of people in a country which has in recent years witnessed a dramatic rise in life expectancy – now at 66 years.

Equally of a great concern is the growing consumption of sugar, including in the form of sugared drinks and foods. Research has indicated that sugar is just as dangerous as alcohol and tobacco, and is therefore a major factor in the increase of NCDs.

It’s a fact that fewer Rwandans have a habit of eating fruits and vegetables which are healthy for the body, yet many can easily access them.

In light of these health-threatening challenges, authorities and other actors need to step up public awareness on the grave dangers of eating unhealthy foods and tobacco use, and encourage them to embrace healthy eating habits.