She revealed this on Monday at the commencement of a five-day workshop on West Africa peer review and support multi-country for NCDs, mental health and injury prevention held at Tamala Hotel.
The forum was attended by experts from various fields, such as healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers and advocates from both The Gambia and other West African countries.
PS Drammeh who also doubles as the newly elected chairperson of the West Africa Regional Technical Advisory Committee (ReTAC), mentioned that the burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), mental health conditions, injuries, and their associated risk factors is enormous, widespread, and complex. She added that NCDs do not discriminate, as they affect children, men, women, the rich, and the poor alike.
She said “tragically, NCDs shorten lives, taking more than 15 million people between the ages of 30 and 69 years. The vast majority of these deaths—85%—occur in low- and middle-income countries.” She continued that mental health conditions are also on the rise globally, posing a threat to both lives and economic productivity.
“Today, one in eight people live with a mental disorder, and about 15% of working-age adults are affected. The socio-economic consequences of mental health issues are devastating, and The Gambia is not immune to these challenges. Our communities face numerous cognitive and behavioral disorders that hinder development.”
The PS added that road traffic injuries are a growing public health concern, particularly in developing nations, adding that each year, more than 1.19 million people die, and up to 50 million are injured in road traffic crashes globally and that the African region bears the highest fatality rate, with 19 deaths per 100,000 people.
PS Drammeh emphasised that the complexity of the public health challenges requires a multifaceted and comprehensive approach.
“We can change the narrative together. We need strategic leadership in our countries to address NCDs by promoting greater policy coherence and coordination,” she stated.
She added that “this can be achieved through a whole-of-government and health-in-all-policies approach, engaging stakeholders in a coordinated, comprehensive, and integrated manner.”
She said “our health systems must be reoriented toward promoting and supporting healthy lifestyles for individuals, families, and communities within the primary healthcare framework.”
This, she said will help address the complex social, cultural, and behavioral factors associated with NCDs and mental health. She added that strengthening partnerships, alliances, and networks is crucial.
Dr Momodou T. Nyassi, acting director of Health Services, said that their vision is to explore, discuss and develop effective strategies aimed at reducing the burden of NCDs and improving mental health while also addressing the significant issue of injuries within communities.
Betty Kabarega Ingabire, NCDs technical officer-Africa-CDC, stated that NCDs including injuries and mental health conditions have become the leading cause of premature deaths and morbidity and an important barrier to increasing life expectancy in every country in Africa.
She said despite the rapidly growing burden of these conditions in Africa, “our health systems capacities and infrastructure are still fragile with challenges including policy and programmatic gaps amongst others.”
