Non-communicable diseases cause 80% of deaths in Sri Lanka

Non-communicable diseases account for 80 per cent of all deaths in Sri Lanka, with high blood pressure and diabetes among the leading causes, Health and Mass Media Ministry Secretary Dr Anil Jasinghe said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the launch of construction of a new cardiac treatment complex at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, Jasinghe said the two conditions were closely linked and could lead to serious complications, particularly heart attacks.

He said only about 50 per cent of people with high blood pressure had the condition under effective control, while the figure among people with diabetes was about 25 per cent.

Jasinghe said the growing burden of non-communicable diseases had become a major public health challenge and required the health system to adapt to changes in the country’s population structure and disease patterns.

He said the Government was restructuring health services around three main components - Arogya, cluster systems and high-end care institutions - while expanding modern treatment facilities across the country.