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Article: SA fighting scourge of heart disease, diabetes and cancer; Poor lifestyle habits are making us a very sickly nation.(News)
- Article from:
- The Star (South Africa)
- Article date:
- August 27, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Independent News & Media PLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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BYLINE: Kerry Cullinan
Although South Afri-ca is overwhelmed by infectious diseases, there has also been a steady increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), often a result of changing lifestyles.
This is according to a special edition of the Lancet medical journal focusing on South Africa, released this week.
Yet South Africa's response to NCDs "has so far had little effect nationally, with the exception of tobacco control", according to authors Bongani Mayosi and others.
Almost 30 percent of the country's disease burden comes from cardiovascular diseases (mainly heart attacks and strokes), diabetes, cancer, lung disease and ...