Etienne Ntirenganya is a 39-year-old resident of Mukarange Sector, Kayonza District, who weighs 83 kilogrammes. When he underwent a medical check-up on Sunday, he was given a clean bill of health but was told to exercise regularly and minimise on the consumption of red meat. Ntirenganya was told by medics that despite being fine for now, he had to cut down on his body fats to avoid risks of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Rwandans, especially those above 35 years, were urged to make medical check-up a habit in order to prevent NCDs. Etienne Ntirenganya and a medic on World Heart Day. / Jean de Dieu Nsabimana This was the main message on Sunday, at the national celebrations of World Heart Day held in Kayonza District. “I have to do check-ups at least every month to be able to monitor my weight, I will also have to physical exercises,” Ntirenganya said conceding that he would rather do this because of the high costs associated with treating NCDs and the dangers associated with them. Dr. Innocent Turate, Head of Institute of HIV/AIDS Disease Prevention and Control (IHDPC) at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), said non-communicable diseases, including heart diseases, are on the rise in Rwanda, besides being a worldwide concern. Every year, 17 million people around the world die of NCD and three-quarters of these deaths occur in developing countries, he said. Around 20 percent of deaths in Rwanda are caused by NCDs, with 20 percent of the NCDs being heart diseases, he said. The medic highlighted that lack of physical exercise, poor diet and excessive consumption of alcohol, are the leading reasons for heart problems. “We have put a lot of effort into combating communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, and diseases like malaria and we are making progress; however, NCDs keep increasing among Rwandans,” he warned. “We should take measures,” he added, saying that lifestyle is key to fighting NCDs. Dr Innocent Turate, Head of Institute of HIV-AIDS Disease Prevention and Control (IHDPC) at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC). / Jean de Dieu Nsabimana Speaking of the importance of medical check-up, Turate also noted that most of the NCDs are incurable unless they are diagnosed early. He advised the thousands of Kayonza residents who attended the event to eat healthy, to improve working style and behaviors, among other tips, to fight the NCDs. He said that people above the age of 35 should be much more cautious saying that these were much-more susceptible to these diseases. The World Heart Day in Kayonza concluded a week-long campaign that consisted mainly of raising awareness of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and other non-communicable diseases, as well as screening of diseases to ensure early diagnosis and treatment. The campaign worked at 30 sites of 15 health centres in the district. Among 8,325 people who were screened, 20 percent were diagnosed with high blood pressure, while one percent had high levels of sugar, moreover, 21 percent were overweight, according to officials. Some of the most common NCDs include diabetes, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases among others. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
