WHO Finds African Nations More Prone To Develop Lifestyle Diseases:

WHO Finds African Nations More Prone To Develop Lifestyle Diseases: As per a study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) survey of 33 countries, the developing African nation is developing a deadly lifestyle disease owing to modern city life and bad habits. These deadly disease are normally caused due to smoking, harmful use of alcohol, a poor diet which does not include

fruit and vegetables, and low levels of physical activity.

The study showed that African nations will see more die of chronic illness than infectious diseases by 2030 since most adults in Africa have at least one risk factor such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, increasing their chance of developing deadly lifestyle diseases.

Most people were not eating enough fruits and vegetables, and depends on junk food and unhealthy diets leading to burden of under nutrition and obesity.

The survey showed an average of 35 per cent of people were overweight and that the average time spent in moderate or high intensity physical activity ranged from 21 minutes per day in Mauritania to 386 minutes per day in Mozambique. Women were more likely to be inactive and overweight.

The report showed that some four million people will die from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa by 2020, and the figure will surpass those of infectious diseases by 2030.

The WHO study found that daily tobacco use ranges from 5 to 26 per cent in Africa, and is only growing.

WHO

♦ The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health.

♦ Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

♦ Founded: April 7, 1948

♦ Head: Margaret Chan