South Africa: MEC Promotes a Healthy Lifestyle

Source from:  BuaNews (Tshwane) 22 January 2008 01/23/2008

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health will this week continue its healthy lifestyle campaign, encouraging people to live a healthier and more productive life. MEC for Health Neliswa Nkonyeni is to promote nutrition, physical activity, tobacco control, safe sexual practices and combating alcohol abuse among communities across the province. For the past four years, the MEC together with the department, has prioritised the promotion of healthy lifestyles as a key initiative. Leon Mbangwa, spokesperson for the department said: "The Healthy Lifestyles Programme was successfully integrated in almost all the department's monthly health awareness days, attaining thousands of community members. "Although all the components were communicated to South African citizens, the promotion of good nutrition, physical activity and health screening services has been vigorously and prominently demonstrated at various mass gatherings. "These events were attended by five to ten thousand participants," said Mr Mbangwa. The department revealed that a critical aspect of the healthy lifestyles programme was to address the onset and prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases. The danger of obesity, unhealthy diets and physical inactiveness is a risk, he said. Alcohol abuse can also cause non-natural deaths as people under the influence of alcohol are vulnerable to violence, road accidents, drowning and other injuries. Mr Mbangwa said other government departments were encouraged to implement this important programme with the guidance of the department. Ms Nkonyeni will kick-start this campaign on Tuesday at Nomponjwane Clinic in Ntambanana Municipality, it will then travel to the Ugu District's, Hlokozi area in uMzumbe on Saturday. Enditem