The forthcoming Mauritius Non-communicable disease (NCD) survey, and the findings of past NCD surveys were the focus of discussions between the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, and three overseas University Health Experts, this afternoon, during a courtesy call at the New Treasury Building in Port-Louis.
The Professor Emeritus of Public Health from the University of Helsinki in Finland, Professor Jaakko Tuomilehto; the Consultant Cardiology from the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine of Umea University in Sweden, Professor Stefan Soderberg; and doctoral student from Oulu University in Finland, Mr Ville Stenback, are presently in Mauritius to train and supervise the personnel from the Ministry of Health and Wellness who will undertake the 2021 NCD Survey as from Saturday 23 October 2021.
Professor Tuomilehto briefed the Prime Minister on the current survey plan. He also provided information that could contribute in improving the relevant structure of the country and in organising activities that would promote the health sector. Initiatives that could be implemented in other sectors such as agriculture were discussed too.
Moreover, Professor Tuomilehto explained that he first came to Mauritius in 1987 to set up the NCD risk factor survey, which was then carried out every five years. Several thousand people were examined each time and data about diabetes, blood pressure, lipids, lifestyles, diets, among others, were collected. Highlighting the importance for any country to have this information, the Professor stated that very few countries in the world actively collect such data and that Mauritius is well known for its framework of NCD assessment over the decades.
Two-day training workshop for NCD Survey staff at Heen Foh Hall in Port-Louis
The latest Mauritius Non-communicable Disease (NCD) survey, whose main objective is to determine the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and their associated risk factors in the Mauritian population, will kick off on Saturday 23 October 2021.
The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, made the announcement, this morning, at the launching of a two-day training workshop for NCD Survey staff at Heen Foh Hall in Port-Louis. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative, Dr Laurent Musango; the Professor Emeritus of Public Health from the University of Helsinki in Finland, Professor Jaakko Tuomilehto; the Consultant Cardiology from the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine of Umea University in Sweden, Professor Stefan Soderberg; and other personalities were present at the event.
As for Professor Stefan Soderberg, he described the meeting with the Prime Minister as good, adding that the latter was very interested in NCD issues and the health of the population. He conveyed his congratulations to the Prime Minister, the Government and the Ministry of Health and Wellness for the remarkable NCD study that started in the mid-eighties and has continued up to now. He affirmed that the conduct of NCD Survey every five years is unique globally, and that it is important not only for the country but also for the world as it enables a better understanding of the development of diseases.
It is noted that Professor Tuomilehto has contributed to over 1,500 peer reviewed publications and is one of the most cited authors in the field of clinical medicine and diabetes worldwide. His collaboration was crucial in the preparation of the six NCD surveys in Mauritius and four NCD surveys in Rodrigues, as well as the Mauritius Diabetes Risk Score used to screen diabetic and pre-diabetic in the population.
Professor Soderberg is, for his part, a specialist in pulmonary circulation and heart transplantation while Mr Stenback is doing research on the effects of physical activity on metabolism, health disease, and the relations between Type 2 diabetes and physical activity.
Surveys undertaken in Mauritius on the burden of the key NCDs and their risk factors were carried out in 1987, 1992, 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2015 with the collaboration of Monash University and the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia, the University of Helsinki in Finland, Umea University Hospital in Sweden and Imperial College in the United Kingdom.
A total of 4,300 Mauritians aged between 20 to 74 years old have been randomly selected by Statistics Mauritius and the Statistics Department of the Minister of Health and Wellness to participate in the upcoming exercise. They will be grouped in 15 clusters around the island.
