Dhaka, April 24 -- Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now account for around 71 percent of all deaths in Bangladesh, with excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods emerging as a major driver of the growing health burden, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The issue was highlighted at a workshop titled "Tackling Non-Communicable Diseases in Bangladesh: The Role of Hypertension Control and Front-of-Package Labelling" held on Apr 23 in Dhaka.

The workshop was organised by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI). Twenty-eight senior journalists from print, television and online media took part in the event at FARS Hotel & Resorts.

Speakers said the rising risk of NCDs,...