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The Ministry of Health is rolling out campaigns and programs targeting not only schools and communities but also remote rural and maritime areas for non-communicable diseases.

This initiative comes in response to a concerning trend of diabetes in the country, with the Ministry noting a weekly occurrence of amputations.

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong, says these initiatives are to raise awareness, provide education, and facilitate access to healthcare services, particularly for individuals at risk or diagnosed by NCDs.

PS Health Dr James Fong 

Doctor Fong emphasized the critical need to intensify efforts within primary healthcare to detect complications associated with diabetes at an early stage.

“A program that allows us to prevent complications and to control complications early will go along way into reducing the amount of amputations that we are doing”.

According to the Ministry of Health statistics, diabetes is responsible for a staggering one-fourth of all deaths, totalling around 1,500 fatalities each year.