Issued by the National Department of Health
26 May 2005
The Department of Health will on Monday 30th May celebrate the launch for the Move for Health Day campaign as part of government's health promotion initiative that advocates the development of interventions to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases of lifestyle in the country.
The campaign to be launched in Alexandra, Johannesburg seeks to create awareness among our communities on the befits of physical activity in maintaining healthy lives and controlling lifestyle diseases. The Move for Health initiative is strongly backed by findings of the 2002 World Health Report (WHR) - which lists physical activity among the main risks contributing to chronic diseases of lifestyle such as cardiovascular, diabetes, obesity, colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, depression and anxiety.
The Agita Mundo Programme (Move for Health) originated in Brazil in 1996 as a response to high prevalence of lifestyle diseases in that country. Following its success the WHA mandated its member states, including South Africa, to celebrate Move for Health annually since 2002.
The South African slogan for the campaign is; "Vuka South Africa, Move for Your Health", which is an action oriented theme to encourage communities throughout the country to take responsibility for their health by engaging in cost effective physical activities such as walking, regular exercise and other extramural activities.
One of the key messages for this year's celebrations is that physical activity is for everyone, rich or poor, and can be done almost everywhere without equipment. At least 30 minutes of physical activity a day is recommended to improve and maintain ones health.
Physical activity does not only include sport but also other activities such as:
Research indicates that lack of physical activity is a major underlying cause of death, disease and disability. According to the World Health Report (2002) people are living dangerously in terms of consumption of unhealthy foods, smoking, alcohol and being physically inactive. Additionally, obesity rates have risen threefold since the 1980s, mostly because of physical inactivity.
The South African Youth Risk Behaviour Survey (YRBS) conducted among grades 8-10 indicates that; 17.2% of adolescents were overweight, and more female (5.3%) than male (2.2%) were obese.
The abovementioned surveys provide compelling evidence based information on physical inactivity levels of the South African population. It is therefore clear that cost-effective population based interventions are required to empower communities with information and skills that will enable them to take charge of their lives.
It is against this backdrop that the WHO chose "Supportive Environments" as the international theme for this year's "Move for Health" day celebrations. This theme urges governments to create physical activity-friendly environments for their citizens. This is aimed at fostering opportunities for all to make safe physical activity part of daily living.
Some of the core actions conducive to such supportive environments are:
The day of the launch will include a range of activities taking place at different settings throughout the country to educate people on how physical activities can be incorporated into our daily activities at home, work or school. There would also be nationwide road shows, marches and free screenings for the public for diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
Enquiries: Solly Mabotha: 083 678 9860