Students will soon benefit from health club initiative

DPI, GUYANA, Thursday, November 2, 2017

The Adolescent Unit through the Ministry of Public Health will be launching in January 2018, an initiative, to raise awareness of the benefits of about health and fitness among young people.

With the assistance of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the Ministry hopes to initially target approximately fifteen schools, in the initiative before it is disseminated throughout the ten regions.

According to Adolescent Unit Representative Cilandell Glen, the health clubs will positively engage young people in productive activities and educate them, on healthy behaviours and lifestyles. It will also teach them to take responsibility for their own health and promote these decisions among their peers, to produce positive outcomes as they transition from childhood to adulthood.

Glen also disclosed that a one-week training session for both teachers and students will also be conducted. The participating schools will also be provided fitness kits, as part of the initiative.

According to statistics, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDS) which include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory disease, account for almost 70 percent of all deaths locally; which is also considered the number one cause of premature deaths.

It was highlighted that these diseases are preventable by the simple modification of four risk factors: harmful tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and excess alcohol consumption.

Last year, the Ministry’s Chronic Disease Unit conducted a STEP-wise approach population-based survey in its efforts to combat NCDs to determine chronic disease risk factors and surveillance in Guyana.

 

By: Neola Damon