Speakers at a workshop on Thursday emphasised the necessity of establishing a health promotion authority in Bangladesh, similar to those in Thailand and other countries, for sustainable health development and effectively combating the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)."

They said NCDs, including heart diseases, stroke, cancer, kidney diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and hypertension, collectively account for a staggering 70% of total deaths in Bangladesh.

Besides, the experts said that tobacco consumption, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, and air pollution are some of the major risk factors of NCDs that can be reduced through lifestyle changes implemented via health promotion initiatives.