Abstract:
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have become a major disease burden in developing countries. The overall effect of NCDs increases many-folds when accompanied by poor environmental conditions characterized by low economic conditions, contaminated water consumption and poor Waste Management. This study aims to identify occurrence and prevalence of NCDs in relation to poor environmental conditions in recognized slum areas of Islamabad. A total of 400 individuals were sampled in 4 slums of Islamabad. To evaluate the status of NCDs, WHO Stepwise Questionnaire, Environmental Evaluation in relation to NCDs, Water and Solid Waste Assessment. The prevalence of Risk Factors for NCDs revealed that 31% of men and 38.1% of women were overweight and 9% of men and 19.2% of women were obese. The prevalence of hypertension (systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg, or taking medication for hypertension) was 39% for men and 27% for women. Moreover, 62% men smoke various tobacco products as compared to 23% women. The presence of uncountable bacterial colonies in the drinking water along with higher than permissible levels of fluoride, calcium, magnesium hardness and total hardness indicate that the water is unfit for consumption and has the potential to cause life-threatening diseases if consumed continuously. The solid waste risk assessment of the open dumping landfill sites in the proximity of the sampling sites revealed the magnitude of the various health hazards posed by the untreated garbage which act as breeding ground for pathogens. The high prevalence of risk factors for NCDs across all age groups in the urban slums of Islamabad indicate a higher risk of chronic illnesses. Moreover, the poor water and sanitation conditions are exacerbating the state of health in the community by acting as sources for infectious diseases.
