It’s a Womb to Tomb business.

These are the words of National Advisor for Non-communicable Diseases, Dr Isimeli Tukana speaking at a workshop for the review of the National NCD Strategic Plan, where he informed stakeholders that NCDs are the cause of 80% of the deaths around the country and parents should remember that combating NCDs starts from the time we are conceived to the time we die.

He said Fiji is currently in the baby boom months and if we are not careful these children can be diabetics by the time they reach 30, as improper diets while a mother is pregnant, will see the baby being anemic which will plague the child until death.

Every year, averages of 18,000 children are born around the country with an average of 1500 babies from the months of March to June with a total of 18,328 babies born last year.

In trying to paint a clear picture of how important it is for mothers to take preventative measures, Dr Tukana said that for these children by the time they turn 30, 30% will be obese, 12% will be diabetics and 16 % will suffer from hypertension.

The Strategic NCD Plan 2009-2013 will be finalised in June.