Africa-Press – Botswana. Lifestyle challenges and standards of living are reshaping the disease landscape in Southern Africa and other regions. Non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer are currently significant causes of death.
It is imperative to promote healthy living and behavioural change to save lives.
Encouraging community members to take charge of their health by making conscious decisions to maintain healthy diets, engage in regular exercise, and undergo medical check-ups for early disease detection and treatment is crucial.
Speaking at the SADC Healthy Lifestyle Commemoration Day in Palapye, Morupule Coal Mine’s CEO, Mr Edwin Elias, highlighted that incidents of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart diseases, diabetes, and cancer could potentially rise with improved economic prosperity.
The commemoration aims not only to encourage healthy living but also to raise community awareness about NCDs, which claim many lives. “It will not only promote adoption of healthy living, but create community awareness of Non-Communicable diseases, which claim many lives,” said Mr Elias.
Under the theme, Risk Factors of Today are the Diseases of Tomorrow, NCDs, Mr Elias emphasised the importance of reducing the risk factors associated with NCDs.
He mentioned that SADC has addressed non-communicable disease monitoring and related risks in the Protocol on Health, urging member states to adopt suitable strategies for prevention and control.
Therefore, he stressed SADC’s commitment to its citizens’ health, emphasising the need to achieve an acceptable standard of health for all and meet specific targets for overall health.
He highlighted the significance of continuos NCDs awareness, campaigns suggesting that a comprehensive approach involving everyone to combat NCDs effectively.
Given the health challenges faced by SADC countries, including the HIV pandemic, Mr Elias said that Botswana was recognised globally for its successful HIV response, could leverage this experience to tackle NCDs effectively.
Mr Elias said the SADC Healthy Lifestyle Day commemoration’s goal was to raise awareness about healthy living, focusing on preventing and managing NCDs by addressing risk factors like tobacco use, alcohol abuse, physical inactivity, and unhealthy eating habits.
Moreover, the commemoration serves as an opportunity to emphasize the importance of good health for increased productivity, essential for sustainable economic growth aligning with Botswana’s Vision 2036 aspirations.
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