The government has stepped up its whole-of-government approach to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory illnesses and mental health disorders, through coordinated efforts involving 35 ministries and divisions.

The first high-level meeting of the Coordination Committee on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases was held at the Secretariat today with Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani in the chair.

Senior secretaries and secretaries of the 35 ministries and divisions that signed a joint declaration on NCD prevention attended the meeting, which was jointly organized by the Health Services Division and the Cabinet Division with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO) Bangladesh.

Speaking at the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary described NCD prevention and control as one of the government's top priorities and stressed the need for innovative measures and time-bound action plans to address the growing burden of such diseases.

He emphasized preventive healthcare, urging people to adopt regular physical activity and healthy lifestyles. “If we can convince people that prevention is more important than medicine or treatment, the burden of non-communicable diseases will decline,” he said.