KUWAIT: Director of the Health Promotion Department at the Ministry of Health Dr Abeer Al-Bahouh stressed on Monday importance of awareness campaigns to address chronic diseases and their causes to face the illnesses that many people suffer from. This came in statement on sidelines of an educational course held by the Health Promotion Department as part of the expanded campaign to raise awareness of chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are a global problem that witnessed a remarkable increase since the last decades of the 20th century, said Bahouh.

Bahouh stated that chronic diseases in Arab countries cause a challenge to decision makers tasked with health strategies, noting importance of providing primary health care to detect chronic diseases in early stages to improve quality of the life for individuals and reduce cost of treatment which would be greater if the disease develops. She added that Chronic diseases are usually silent, and the patient may not notice it until complications begin to occur, such as high blood pressure.

Bahouh noted that the course, where 70 participants participated, included several lectures on importance of preventing chronic diseases and reducing factors that cause them such as smoking, physical inactivity, obesity and unhealthy food. The lecturers from the Department of Health Promotion provided a definition of chronic diseases and reviewed information of previous courses, added Bahouh, indicating that this course will last for two days. The course included a presentation on most important developments in tuberculosis, asthma and others, as well as a health exhibition in which several departments affiliated with the Health Ministry participated. - KUNA