September 17, Colombo (LNW): Non-communicable diseases are responsible for roughly four out of every five deaths in Sri Lanka, with hypertension and diabetes emerging as two of the country’s most significant health concerns, Health and Mass Media Ministry Secretary Dr Anil Jasinghe has said.
Dr Jasinghe highlighted the growing burden of these conditions while attending the launch of construction work on a new Cardiac Care Complex at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital on 16 September.
He explained that hypertension and diabetes frequently occur together and can progressively damage several organs, increasing the risk of serious complications. Among the most dangerous outcomes is myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack.
According to Dr Jasinghe, the country continues to face difficulties in keeping these chronic illnesses under control. He said only about half of people diagnosed with high blood pressure are currently receiving effective control, while the corresponding figure for diabetes is estimated at around one in four patients.
He described the situation as a major public health challenge and said reducing the complications associated with NCDs would require more than simply expanding hospital facilities.
Dr Jasinghe stressed that Sri Lanka’s healthcare system must also respond to significant changes in the country’s population structure and the pattern of illnesses affecting communities. As the population ages and chronic diseases become increasingly prominent, he said health services would need to be reorganised to reflect those changing demands.
He said the Ministry of Health and Mass Media was implementing a broad programme under Government policy and the direction of the Health Minister, focusing on three principal areas: the Arogya programme, the development of cluster-based health systems and the establishment of high-end care institutions.
These initiatives, he said, were intended to strengthen the health system and ensure that modern medical services evolve alongside the country’s changing healthcare needs.
