Non-communicable diseases

Over 70% of deaths in the Pacific Islands today are due to non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes. However, these diseases are preventable because they are lifestyle related, i.e., linked to smoking, excessive drinking, a lack of exercise and poor eating habits, etc. So, it is important to educate children from a very young age about the causes and consequences of such diseases and how to prevent them.