Workshop 'Tool' To Improve Health Promotion
By Asri Razak

Bandar Seri Begawan - Improving the health and quality of life of Bruneians is one of the the Ministry of Health's priority policy objectives, a major initiative documented in the National Health Care Plan 2000-2001, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health said at the opening of a workshop on National Health Promotion Capacity Mapping Tool, yesterday.

Awg Yusof Amba said that like many other countries, chronic diseases such as heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and stroke are now the leading causes of death in Brunei Darussalam and the Ministry of Health in its bid to raise awareness and knowledge of the diseases risk factors have and will continue to conduct numerous health promotional activities, which include nationwide campaigns, conveying health messages through the mass media, health talks and roadshows.

He said, with the attendance of other government agencies in the workshop, it is a "golden opportunity" to work together, forming partnerships to improve national capacities in health promotion, in terms of the nation's existing governance, policies related to health promotion, health system, infrastructure and sustainable resources. Some 50 government officials and from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), attended the workshop.

The workshop's Co-Chairperson Malai Abdullah Malai Othman said, "public health is everybody's business and through a health promotion process, it enables people to increase control over and improve their health".

"Serious health implications have arisen in the 21st century, with new challenges and the creation of new competitors and with the workshop on National Health Promotion capacity mapping tool to find out where we are, and where are we going," he said.

Dr Norhayati Mohd Kassim, a Senior Medical Officer from the Department of Health Services noted the widespread overweight issue amongst male adults in the nation have reached 33 per cent, whilst women are close behind with 31.3 per cent.

Further into her presentation she said, smoking is another issue that the sultanate faces. According to the 2001 population census, there are 40,000 smokers in the sultanate and the majority from the 20-30 age group, of which 30 per cent are female smokers.

Speaking to TheBrunei Times, Sally Fawkes a consultant from the WHO Western Pacific Region said, the workshop looks at a country's structure, overall view, financing and good leadership in the health sector.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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