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Tongans use social media to fight lifestyle diseases

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A computer monitor tracks a patient's vital signs.(Supplied: brykmantra/flikr)

In a Pacific first a social media is being used in Tonga to help young people tackle some of the regions biggest killers such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer also known as non communicable diseases.

More than 80 percent of death in Tonga are attributed to NCD's and experts want to equip Tongan youth to fight it early, through the use of social media.

The program is a collaboration between Tonga Youth Leaders, the country's Ministry of Health, and the public health team from the Pacific Community.

A transition from traditional health diets of good starches and leafy greens to more modern diet of highly processed junk food plays a large role in contributing to NCD's, according to Tonga's Department of Health.

Smoking also plays a major role with tobacco use a risk factor common to the four main groups of NCD's cardiovascular disease, cancer, lung disease, and diabetes.

The training comes as new research from the Menzies School of Health looking at Australia's indigenous community has shown that using Facebook to deliver health messages can be effective.

The study found that personal messages on Facebook posted from someone inside the community as opposed to a campaign by a big corporation was much more effective in conveying health messages.

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