The seventy-third session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for the Western Pacific will discuss major health issues in the Region, including reaching the unreached, mental health, primary health care, cervical cancer and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This story is part of a series examining how each health topic affects people in the Region.
When Khishigdavaa Myagmar found himself constantly short of breath, hungry and thirsty, his family became his inspiration to change.
“I was overweight. I had very high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat and high blood sugar levels. I had very poor nutrition and bad habits. I was unable to sleep at night,” said Mr Myagmar, who lives in Darkhan Soum, Darkhan-Uul province in Mongolia. “I was constantly short of breath, hungry and thirsty.”
Then he had a lightbulb moment.
“The main thing that influenced me to change my lifestyle was my family. I realized that if I died, there would be no one who could love my children or my wife more than I do. My family is my life and my greatest happiness.”
Mr Myagmar understood that if he wanted his children to have long and healthy lives, he needed to change.
“I know that if I make a mistake, my children will make a mistake too. As parents, we need to influence our children through actions, not words.”
He gave up drinking and tobacco.
“After giving up alcohol and smoking, my body became lighter. I slept peacefully at night, woke up early in the morning and began to feel more energetic.”
As Mr Myagmar lost weight and regained his energy, people began to notice.
“Many people ask me how I lost weight and how I got rid of the illness and pain I used to experience. I’ve realized that the best way to influence people to change is through leading by example.
“I want others to understand that there is so much to pursue if they focus on their health through diet and exercise.
“Today, my health makes me feel inspired and eager for life. It is my wish to share this inspiration with as many people as possible. I want to travel the world and continue to live an active life,” he said.
Watch Khishigdavaa Myagmar talk about how concentrating on nutrition and fitness gave him a new life.
Stopping smoking, increasing physical activity, reducing the harmful use of alcohol and improving the diet all lessen the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke), cancers and chronic respiratory diseases. These NCDs accounted for 12 million deaths across the WHO Western Pacific Region in 2019, or 87% of all deaths in the Region that year.
NCDs are a priority for this year’s Regional Committee, which will discuss a draft Regional Action Framework for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control in the Western Pacific, which was developed in consultation with Member States, experts and other stakeholders.
Major achievements in health have led to increases in life expectancy worldwide and in the Western Pacific Region. However, due to population growth, urbanization, ageing and globalization of unhealthy lifestyles, the number of people living with NCDs in the Region is rising.
The health sector alone cannot address all of the factors that determine a person’s risk of developing NCDs, which cause nearly three quarters of all deaths in the world. However, creating health-promoting environments, where communities support healthy diets and lifestyle choices, can help turn a sick system into a health system. Cross-sectoral partnerships and networking are important for creating healthy environments and addressing the social and commercial determinants of health – from socioeconomic status to exposure to food marketing – that influence NCD risk.
NCDs pose a great risk to the sustainable development goals globally and in the Region. Conversely, countries can achieve both healthy populations and viable societies by investing in NCD prevention and control as well as health-enabling behaviours and environments.
The draft Regional Action Framework for Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control in the Western Pacific recommends that countries invest in healthy environments, behaviour change, and prevention and early detection, in addition to treatment.
By adopting a whole-of-society approach, strengthening primary health care and empowering patients to make decisions about their health, the Region can stop the NCD epidemic, enabling more people to live long, healthy and productive lives.