infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS. It safeguards their rights while also ensuring that there is no stigma and discrimination against PLHIV. 207. The Civil Status Act, the HIV and AIDS Act 2006 and the Immigration Act were amended in order to allow marriages between a Mauritian citizen and a non-citizen who is HIV infected. 208. The Immigration (Amendment) Act of 2019, now provides that persons who suffer from any physical or mental infirmity or persons who are dumb, blind or otherwise physically defective or physically handicapped and who are likely to be a burden on the State shall no longer be treated as a distinct category of prohibited immigrants. NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES 209. As regard, alcohol consumption, unfortunately a slight increase thereof has been noted, that is, from 48.5% in 2009 to 52.8% in 2015. It is to be highlighted that the death rate for 100,000 people which is mainly due to NCDs like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer has decreased from 547 in 2016 to 534 in 2017. In 2018, 2,861 new cancer cases were registered, representing an increase of approximately 86 per cent from 2009. In 2017, 647 surgical interventions were done at the Cardiac Centre. 210. Mauritius increased its spending on early disease detection programmes from Rs 2.80 million in 2014 to Rs 47.84 million in 2016. In 2016, we spent around Rs 16.5 billion, which is around 66.5 per cent, on NCDs, the largest share of health expenditure on diseases. We have increased taxes on alcohol and tobacco. We also introduced a sugar tax since 2013 on the amount of sugar in soft drinks and banned soft drinks from school canteens. In 2016 the sugar tax was extended to all non-alcoholic sugar sweetened beverages. These intensive screening and sensitization programmes have, in 2017, reversed the trend in mortality due to NCDs which we registered between 2011 and 2016. 211. Blood Glucose Strips has been placed on the list of controlled commodities and has resulted in a decrease in price Rs 40 to Rs 114 for a box of 50 strips according to brands. 212. From 2018 to April 2019, 54,670 persons were reached though the NCD programme and persons found with abnormal results were referred to the nearest hospital or community health centre for follow up and further investigations. Moreover, through the School Health Programme for secondary schools, some 180 schools were visited and 50,335 students were screened. About 6,924 women were screened for breast and cervical cancer from 2018 to April 2019. 213. The Food Act regulates, inter alia, the determination of fitness of food, its preparation, packaging, storing, conveyancing, distribution as well as sale. Food safety ranks high on our agenda and as such the need for closer food monitoring is being emphasized. Water quality is also 102