Ministry of Health and Population has warned that non-communicable Diseases (NCD) will soon surpass communicable diseases if people do not take preventive measures.

Assistant Director of Clinical Services responsible for NCD, Hastings Chiumia issued the warning during the orientation of District Executive Committee (DEC) members in Chiradzulu on World Diabetes Foundation Project which the Ministry in collaboration with Partners in Health will implement in the district.

Chiumia attributed the increase to smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and not lack of physical exercises among other contributing factors.

He further added that most partners are interested in communicable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV and Aids, leaving out diabetes, hypertension and asthma.

Chiumia said people should stop associating the NCDs with rich people saying anybody can suffer from the diseases. The project is aimed at sensitizing people how to prevent NCDs and will run in 13 districts of the southern region.

Chiradzulu has been allocated K2.9 million and the project will be implemented at the district and Nguludi (St. Joseph) hospitals.

The district has also registered 6, 000 cases of diabetes as of June 30, 2019.