Aspects of Non Communicable Diseases NCDs and Gender
Aspects of Non -Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Gender During the Eleventh Annual Meeting of African Science Academies (AMASA-11) on ‘Non-Communicable Diseases: Post 2015 Development Agenda’ Hilton Hotel, Nairobi; , 1 st December 2015 Paul Kuria
Outline of Presentation ü Introduction: ü ü Who are we? Intersection of commission’s mandate and aspects of NCD ü Gender Issues and Non-Communicable Diseases
Part 1: Who are we? ü The National Gender and Equality Commission is an independent institution established through an ACT of Parliament of 2011 pursuant to Art. 59 (4)and (5) of the Constitution ü Became fully functional in May 2012
Mandate and functions To promote gender equality and freedom from discrimination in public and private sectors and spheres of life among all Kenyans with special focus to women, youth, elderly, children, person with disability, and marginalized and minority groups and communities www. ngeckenya. org Coordinate Audit Monitor Facilitate Advisories
Part 2: Intersection of NGEC’s Mandate and NCDs a) Normative frameworks and legal instruments b) Investigations, mainstreaming, public education and research i) Gender differentials and inequities in risks, services, prevalence and impact of NCD ii) Critical opportunities in SDG
The context ü Two- thirds of global deaths are due to NCD; In Kenya, NCD accounts for one thirds of deaths (stroke, CVD, cancer, chronic respiratory, diabetes, mental illness, substance abuse, consequences of violence) In contemporary society, NCD is affecting populations in low resource settings ü Risk factors for NCD are correlated with age. One thirds of deaths from NCD occur before age 60. Risky behavior are first adopted during adolescence ü ü NCD are responsible for reduced productivity, high health care budgets, slow economic growth, chronic poverty,
Normative Frameworks Audit and issue compliance report of Kenya with; ü WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, 2003 (Kenya ü Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (Seoul, 2012 (Kenya signed May 2013) 2011 Political Declaration of UN general assembly on Prevention and Control of NCD (25 by 25) Resolutions of First Global Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Non-communicable Disease Control, Moscow, 2011 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ICRC Maputo protocol (14, 2 a) ü ü ü signed/ratified June 2004)
Legal instruments, policies, standards ü Constitution of Kenya: art 43 ü Tobacco Control Act 2007 -protects the general public from harmful effects of exposure to tobacco smoke ü NCD policy framework ü County and national health strategic and investment plans ü ü Affirmative actions and programs for most at risk of NCD Draft standards on right to health
Critical Gender issues and NCD ü ü Different gender-related risk factors Differences in access to care and care-seeking behavior among men and women Different treatment behaviors by providers Lack of sex-disaggregated data and gender-sensitive indicators
1. Risk factors for males and females a) Alcohol and tobacco consumption Males and females face different levels of susceptibility to NCDs based on their genetic makeup and gender norms that influence behavioral risk factors for NCDs. ü Women are thus much less likely to die from lung cancer than men (WHO, 2005). ü Alcohol consumption is also higher among males, and in many cultures it is acceptable for men to consume large ü Alcohol and drug abuse (ADA) is highest among ages 15 -29 and lowest among adults of ages 65 and older.
b) Environmental factors and pollutants Different roles of males and females in households lead to different levels of exposure to environmental risk factors and pollutants. ü E. g exposure to pollution respiratory diseases ü Power imbalances can cause women to be less able to negotiate smoke-free spaces in work places, social gatherings, and in their own home. c) Obesity and physical inactivity ü Globally, women are more likely to be obese than men, due to an array of cultural norms. ü Women may consume carbohydrates and fats, which increases their risk of NCDs, either due to inability to access healthy food options or because cultures favor women with higher body weight ü Women may not undertake physical exercises in public
d) Mental health and illness Mental illness and consequences of gender based violence (GBV) affect women and men differently. Globally, women are subjected to GBV more frequently, detrimental to their physical and mental health. ü 45% of women between ages 15 – 49 in Kenya have experienced either physical or sexual violence. Women and girls accounts for 90% of the gender based violence (GBV) cases reported ü Rates of depression are 3 to 4 times higher among women exposed to childhood sexual abuse or physical partner violence (WHO, 2014).
2. Access to care and care-seeking behavior Gender relations affect accessibility to preventive care and treatment for NCDs. ü Social and cultural beliefs prevent women from accessing NCD services due to social customs which limit their physical mobility ü Gender-related power inequalities have implications for NCD treatment. Women and girls may depend on partners for health care decision-making, access, and expenditures ü Men are more reluctant to seek medical help and may, as a result, suffer from preventable illnesses or make unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as engaging in substance abuse, or adopting poor eating or exercise habits
3. Equality of treatment by providers ü Men are likely to be provided better medical treatment than their female counterparts in the same facilities partly due to provider bias. ü The biology of women and men leads to differences in symptoms and warning signs for certain NCDs in males and females. E. g women are less likely to experience traditional symptoms of CVD, which is the top killer of women worldwide. 4. Sex disaggregated data on NCD ü There is shortage of rigorously analyzed sex-disaggregated data related to NCDs low resource settings for evidence based programming, planning and to inform policy and legal actions.
NCD in the MDGs and Post 2015 Agenda ü MDGs made no specific mention of conditions which cause the most premature death and disability (NCD) ü NCD in the MDGs were largely discussed under health goals 4, 5, 6 ü A stand alone target 3. 4 under SDGs 3 and associated with targets for goals 5, 10
Opportunities for Africa ü Collect and analyze sex disaggregated data on NCDs ü Strengthen capacity of health care providers and systems to make NCD services gender inclusive and equitable ü Address the different health- and nutrition-related needs of females and males ü Raise awareness about environmental issues affecting females and males ü Gender and climate change/management ü Allocate more resources for research on NCDs and gender to inform interventions that address specific needs of men and women ü Promote social health lifestyles that mitigate susceptibility of men and women, boys and girls to NCD ü Integration of health services with housing, lifestyle and livelihood
Thank You Email: info@ngekenya. org www. facebook. com/ngeckenya www. twitter. com/ngeckenya www. youtube. com/ngeckenya
- Slides: 17