Low uptake of best practices in preventing non communicable disease (NCDs) is likely to cost the government not just money, but human resource as the number of people affected by NCDs continues to increase.

While the government has invested a lot in human resource development, experts say that reluctance to improve lifestyles such as adopting regular exercise, proper diet and change habits that create high risks of catching NCDs still lacking.

A Steps survey conducted in Rwanda in 2012/13 revealed that the prevalence of main risk factors was generally high in the country.

The report found alcohol consumption harmful at 23.5 per cent heavy episodic drinking, 41.3 per cent currently drinking.

In addition, tobacco use was estimated at 12.9 per cent, unhealthy diet only 0.3 per cent of fruit consumption per day, 0.9 per cent eat vegetables while 99.1 per cent had less than five 5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables). Physical inactivity was high, only 21.4 per cent were engaged in low level of activity.

Experts say that NCDs are the new “killer machine,” which has been neglected as a result of low uptake of full medical checkups, poor eating habits and lack of exercise. These will cost the government more than money — there will be a decline in productivity as human capacity dies at a young age.

“We know what non communicable diseases are, and we know causes and what to do to prevent these diseases but we are lacking in action” says Dr Ahmed Ogwell Ouma, the WHO Africa regional representative.

With a population comprising over 50 per cent youth, Rwanda largely depends on human resource productivity and while government has put in efforts to increase productivity, this age group is at the largest risk of being victims because of failure to test for NCDs.

Though Rwanda is highly ranked in implementation of homegrown health policies and strategies such as Mutuelle de sante (communal health insurance), the lack of using such an advantage to do a comprehensive medical check-up on NCDs has been very low according to the ministry of health.

“Women above 35 and men 40 can get a check-up for as low as Rwf200 and one free test annually, but the numbers of people doing this is very low and this needs to be addressed immediately,” Dr Agnes Binagwaho, the minister of Health said.

New cases of NCDs seen in health facilities in Rwanda include cardiovascular disease which has increased greatly from 18,428 cases in 2013 to 48,264 cases followed by diabetes 198 to 5,628 in the same periods while cancer has dropped from 1,921 cases to 1,667.

For instance consultations of NCDs at health facilities remained low compared with other communicable diseases, and these consultations stood at 25 per cent in 2015 from 17 per cent in 2013 and 20 per cent in 2014.

World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics indicate that NCDs mainly cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases are the main causes of death today with more than 36 million dying annually.

Besides low citizen participation generally in Africa, WHO has also put the blame on the government’s slow involvement in implementing national strategies and fiscal policies to curb the increasing cases.

“Of the African countries and 47 in the region, only one country has implemented all the nine strategies, while 13 have implemented one strategy…and only Madagascar, Kenya, Algeria and Togo have implemented the counts,” said Dr Ouma.

Experts also say that lack of integrity, professionalism in the sector is the biggest challenge in Africa and this needs to be addressed by adopting existing technology such Virtual Multi-disciplinary Teams to address the shortage of specialist expertise to handle NCDs.