Around 49.9% of the demand for emergency and resuscitation services in the cities of Maputo, Beira and Nampula has to do with non-communicable diseases, including hypertension, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular accidents and cancer, among others.

According to the Ministry of Health, this is the conclusion of the results of the national survey on the prevalence of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases (InCRÓNICA 2024), carried out by the National Health Institute (INS),

According to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Ivan Manhiça, chronic non-communicable diseases are the cause of two thirds of annual deaths globally.

"In relation to Mozambique, we have also seen a worrying increase in the number of cases and deaths, for example between 2007 and 2019, the weight of mortality caused by chronic non-communicable diseases in our country quadrupled," he said.

For this reason, the country's health authorities have been prioritizing the use of scientific evidence to guide decision-making.

Ivan Manhiça explained that the health sector has mobilized efforts to speed up the generation of scientific evidence on the weight and reasons for the occurrence and worsening of chronic non-communicable diseases in the country.

"It is for this purpose that the Ministry of Health, through the National Health Institute, conducted the national survey on the prevalence and risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases in 2024 (InCRÓNICA 2024).

The survey shows that the prevalence of hypertension remains high at 31.6 percent, i.e. 1 in 3 Mozambican adults are hypertensive.

The results also show that 1 in 20 adults (4.1%) are diabetic and 1 in 6 adults (15.7%) have a high cholesterol level, i.e. a high level of fats in the blood, which is higher in women.

"As for obesity, we noticed that its prevalence doubled from 7.5% to 13.8% between 2005 and 2024, and it was more pronounced in women," he said.

Another indicator that worries health authorities is the fact that studies show that between 2005 and 2024 there will be an increase in the causes of risk for cardiovascular disease in the general population.

Sedentary lifestyle or physical inactivity doubled from 6.5% to 14.3%, being more pronounced in women.

"In the same period, the consumption of excessive alcohol increased around 5 times, from 5.4% to 25.3%, with a greater emphasis on young people, and the consumption of fruit and vegetables fell by 15% between 2004 and 2025," he said.

The survey reveals that 17.3% of Mozambican adults aged 40 to 60 have a combined cardiovascular risk of more than 20 percent or already suffer from cardiovascular disease, with a risk of death within 10 years.

Manhiça added that in view of the scenarios presented by the study, it is necessary to avoid consuming alcohol, tobacco or drugs. On the other hand, it is advisable to consume healthy foods and eat a balanced diet.

Health authorities discourage the consumption of salt and sugar and recommend regular physical activity and stress-reducing habits.

The director general of the National Health Institute, Eduardo Samo Gudo, stressed that carrying out health surveys is one of the institution's core competencies to provide evidence to the health sector, the government and the Mozambican state, in order to make decisions to improve the health and well-being of Mozambicans.

"This survey is the third that the country has carried out with the aim of monitoring the trend not only of chronic diseases, but also of their risk factors. In this third survey we decided to go a little bolder, increasing the sample size to ensure greater robustness of the statistical results, as well as introducing new modules that have never been assessed before, such as asthma, cancer and mental health," he said.

The event was attended by INS researchers, a representative of the World Health Organization, academic institutions, Canada's High Commissioner and health professionals, among others. (Text: AIM)