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HEALTH & FITNESS
Nationwide Health Survey
The Ministry of Health (MoH), in
collaboration with Universiti Brunei
Darussalam (UBD) is conducting the
third National Health and Nutritional
Status Survey (NHANSS) to assess
the prevalence and trends of non-
communicable diseases (NCDs) as well
as their risk factors among the Brunei
population, especially risk factors
related to nutrition.
The research consists of two phases,
with the first phase from October 2022
to January 2023 focussing on common
risk factors among adults aged 18 to 69.
The second phase will be from February
2023 to May 2023 targetting issues
among children and pregnant women.
In the first phase, 5,762 households are
expected to participate while some
3,000 households will be interviewed
for the second phase. For both phases,
trained researchers will visit selected
homes nationwide to interview family
members and conduct inspections.
During the third NHANSS in Brunei
Darussalam STEPS survey (ADULTS)
Component
2022-2023
training
workshop for fieldwork research
assistants, Head of the Non-
Communicable Diseases Prevention
Unit Dr Ong Sok King at the opening
ceremony shared that over two-thirds
of premature deaths (deaths before
70 years) in Brunei are caused by
NCDs, with the most common being
cardiovascular diseases, diabetes,
chronic respiratory diseases and
cancer.
During the pandemic, nearly all
COVID-19 fatalities were in-patients
with NCDs or risk factors. Over three-
quarters of those with severe COVID-19
symptoms had NCDs or risk factors.
Dr Ong also cited that the country’s
population pyramid shows that the
pyramid base has been shrinking from
2001 to 2020. The younger population
is decreasingwhile the older population
is increasing.
Brunei’s population is considered
ageing, with seven per cent of the
population aged 65 and above. It is
projected that Brunei will become an
aged society with 14 per cent of the
population aged 65 and above by
2035. This is an increased NCD burden
of the population as older people are
at higher risk of chronic diseases, she
said.