These medical conditions cause 72.9 per cent of deaths in Oman

Muscat: Oman's Ministry of Health (MoH) is taking aim at the root cause of 72.9 per cent of all deaths in the Sultanate with its soon-to-be-launched National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs).
The multi-sector strategy, which will kick-off on February 11, 2018 with the full support of the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), aims to reduce the number of deaths from NCDs in the Sultanate by 25 per cent, by the year 2025.
MoH's recently announced campaign will focus on targeting four specific NCDs namely cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, cancer, and diabetes. Currently, those four illnesses account for 72.9 per cent of all deaths in the Sultanate according to statistics released in 2016.
Authorities from the MoH have identified five primary risk factors that will be tackled in the campaign including lack of physical activity, smoking, and unhealthy dietary habits among others.
The Sultanate was specifically selected by the U.N. as one of 12 nations to pioneer the fight against NCDs due to its strong framework of primary health care services.
Senior officials from MoH told Times of Oman the campaign will enhance the health of residents and citizens beyond 2040, with a review and assessment system that will check its progress every 5 years.
Oman's NCD prevention and control road-map was outlined by members of the National Committee for Non-communicable Diseases in accordance with the recommendations of the Council of Ministers.
The all-encompassing strategy will include a collaboration across every level of the Sultanate's society including NGOs, civil associations, as well as businesses. These include: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Sports Affairs, Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Education, Supreme Council of Planning, Oman Cancer Association, Oman Medical Association, Oman Tobacco Control Association, WHO, and UNICEF.