Africa-Press – Uganda. Defence Minister Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja has urged Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers to embrace yoga in a bid to fight Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) and boost their health and physical performance.
“We want to use it in our forces. I will interest the UPDF to borrow a leaf to help them live a healthier life,” Mr Bamulangaki said while officiating at the Yoga International Day in Kampala on Sunday.
According to him, physical exercises help fight diseases and keep one physically fit.
Some of the NCDs include Parkinson’s disease, autoimmune diseases, strokes, heart diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and osteoarthritis, among others .
The minister also said yoga should be embraced in schools, first by training tecahers who would then use it to during classes to help learners live a happy and healthy lifestyle.
Mr Ramesh Babu, the chairman Sewa International Limited Uganda, that organised the function together with Hindu Swayam Sevak Sangh (HSS) Uganda, said International Yoga Day is partly intended to combat stress in both adults and children.
“It’s the medicine that cures several diseases,” he said.
According to him, the Indian community has patterned with the government of Uganda to promote yoga in different parts of the country.
“We have been able to involve people from different districts, including Mbale, Jinja, Mukono and others to help them understand and get knowledge,” he said.
He said they are ready and willing to visit the army barracks to teach soldiers yoga.
Yoga International Day was first declared an annual event by Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in 2015 and has since been celebrated over the years to combat stress.
The world Health Organization (WHO) estimates that non communicable diseases were responsible for 63 percent of all the deaths in 2008, 80 percent of the deaths occurring in low and middle income countries and nine million people dying before age 60.
WHO projects those non communicable disease deaths will increase by 17 percent over the next years and will cause 46 percent of deaths in Africa by the year 2030.
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