Health Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala said that 46 percent of women and 10 percent of school children in Sri Lanka are suffering from obesity.
He also stated that the life expectancy of women, which was limited to 80 years a few years ago, has increased to 83 years. He also stated that today, 89 percent of deaths in this country are caused by non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. Dr. Mahipala further said that a majority of deaths occur due to heart disease and stroke.
About 60,000 people suffer from stroke and 4,000 die every year. He was speaking at the inauguration of the first phase of a health promotion programme for Sri Lankan journalists at the premises of the Sri Lanka National Television Corporation.
Sandya Karunaratne