Declare NCDs a National Emergency

Declare NCDs a National Emergency

Press Statement

Preamble

The NCCK Coast Region has held a 2-day forum here at Kilifi PEFA Church to review the state of health of the society with specific focus on the growing pandemic of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs). The delegates, drawn from Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Mombasa, Tana River and Taita Taveta counties, were inspired by the scripture recorded in Exodus 23: 25

So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

Having taken note of the necessity of healthy diets for healthy lives, and appreciating that healthy individuals create a healthy society and healthy nation, we share the following message and recommendations.

1. Declare NCDs a National Emergency

According to different government agencies, Non Communicable Diseases are responsible for more than 50% of hospitalizations, and 39% of the deaths in Kenya. The NCDs, which include cancer, hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, are exerting a heavy burden on Kenyan households, consuming more than 77% of the total health expenditure. On average, it costs a patient approximately KShs 130,000 per year to manage a Non Communicable Disease that does not have complications.

We are concerned that the benefits proposed under the Social Health Authority / Social Health Insurance Fund (SHA/SHIF) are way below this average, and will require patients to pay from their pockets for medical care and medication. We are already seeing this happening.

We call upon the government, upon necessary recommendation from the Ministry of Health, to declare NCDs a national emergency to facilitate keen focus on addressing this emerging national threat.

• Diet Is Essential for Healthy Living

The current rise in prevalence of NCDs has been driven by the change in diet, as persons of all ages increasingly consume foods that are high in salt, high in saturated fats and oils, and high in sugar.

The main source of these unhealthy nutrients are highly processed foods and beverages, and heavily marketed on media and other social structures.

We strongly recommend that necessary laws, policies and regulations are put in place to facilitate regulation of consumption of these nutrients through the following measures:

1. Introduce Front of Pack Warning Labels

We call for laws and regulations that will require all food processors to include Front of Pack Warning Labels that are clear to read and are of a specific colour and size for consistency. The warning should clearly state the quantity of salt, sugar and saturated fats and oils in the product. These labels will enable families to make prudent choices when purchasing food items.

• Regulate Advertisement of Unhealthy Foods

We call for urgent measures by national and county governments to regulate the advertisement of unhealthy foods that are high in sugar, salt and saturated fats and oils, especially those that are targeted at children. Further, incentives should be given to marketers of healthy foods to make it cheaper for them to advertise. Among other elements, the regulations should curtail the placement of advertisements for foods high in the nutrients of concern near schools or during the water-shed hours when children are likely to be consuming media.

Further, we call for an immediate cessation of the use of children or children-like characters in advertisement of unhealthy foods. Let us join in protecting the future generation.

We urge all advertisers to take to heart the warning God has given in Deuteronomy 27: 18

Cursed is the man who leads the blind astray on the road. Then all the people shall say Amen.

• Adopt the Nutrient Profile Model

To facilitate these measures, we call upon the Ministry of Health to work with stakeholders to finalize and adopt the evidence-based Nutrient Profile Model. On our part, we commit to use our structures to sensitize the citizens on the profile model and related regulations once these are put in place.

• Revert to NHIF until the SHIF is ready

Having observed the immense suffering by individual patients and families, we appeal to the government to suspend the implementation of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and reverts to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) until the Social Health Authority puts all necessary measures and structures in place. Let us not sacrifice any more lives just to get money out of Kenyans.

In addition, we call for a radical change in the benefits provided under the SHIF to ensure they match, or at least are better, than the benefits that we enjoyed under the NHIF. It does not make sense to us that Kenyans are now paying more money but are getting less benefits.

• Make the Most of the School Holidays

In line with the education calendar, children are now home for the next two months. We encourage fellow parents not to feel overwhelmed, but to instead make adequate plans to fully engage the children in productive activities. This is a prudent opportunity to instil life skills, culture of work and sense of responsibility in the young ones, and to protect them from those who would destroy their lives. Let us also regulate their access to social media and teach them to use the internet to access helpful information, not just for entertainment.

On their part, we wish all the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations success, even as we commend the Grade 6 learners who completed their Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) last week. We assure you all of our prayers.

• Conclusion

We conclude by remembering that God holds us responsible for how we feed and take care of our bodies. Any time we consume things that are not helpful to the body, we should always remember the warning of God in 1 Corinthians 3: 16 – 17

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

May God help us to protect healthy living in our families and nation.

Signed on this 6^th day of November, 2024, at Kilifi PEFA Church.

Rt Rev Dr Reuben Katite

Vice Chairman, NCCK Coast Region