By Yunus S Saliu
Non-non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have been disclosed to account for 34% of all deaths in The Gambia as every household in the country is either directly or indirectly affected by the NCDs.
Stating the burden of NCDs in The Gambia at the media briefing held on the current Tobacco Situation and Update on the Implementation of The Tobacco Control Act, 2016, held at the Central Medical Store, Kotu, Seyfo Singhateh, Senior Program Officer NCDs Unit/Tobacco Control Program disclosed that burden of NCDs is increasing due to the increase in risk factors, noting that management and treatment are expensive and placing a huge burden on “our meager resources.”
He emphasized that NCDs, mental health, and injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in The Gambia, and 17.4% of the adult population (18 years and above) are obese, 49% of the adult population has hypertension, the prevalence of diabetes is 9.4% in women and 11.6% in men.
He disclosed further that cancer cases increased from 480 in 1997 to 1035 cases in 2020 while NCDs account for over 5,000 premature deaths annually, “Most mortalities occurring from cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, and diabetes,” with “Major risk factors been tobacco use, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diets.”
He continued his presentation saying annually, around 8 million people die from diseases caused by tobacco use, including about 890,000 from second-hand smoke exposure, and the burden of disease from tobacco is increasingly concentrated in LMICs. So, “smoking kills 33-50% of all those who use it by an average of 15 years prematurely. Meanwhile, substantial economic resources are lost due to tobacco-related illnesses, premature disability, and death. These losses are especially harmful in LMICs, where economic resources are needed for economic and social development.”
The prevalence of tobacco use in The Gambia, he explained, according to the step survey report 2010, the national prevalence of tobacco use is 16.7%, prevalence shows alarming figures of 31% and 12.8% for males and females respectively.
Prevalence of tobacco use in The Gambia, “By age group is higher among 25-34 and 35-44 years for men, 31.0% and 31.15% for women. Average Gambian males ages 25 to 65 years smoke about 10 sticks of cigarettes while the use of Shisha among school children aged 12-20 is about 8.4%.
However, his presentation covered other topics including why tobacco kills, the economic cost of tobacco to the country, its environmental impact, novel and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (NENTPs), Tobacco Smoke-Free Environment, Comprehensive Ban on TAPs among others.
Meanwhile, Michael Mendy, Director of Health Promotion and Education and Chairperson of the National Tobacco Control Committee, and Commissioner Pa Bojang delivered comprehensive remarks during the update, which was marked by questions and answers from members of the press.
