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Bukola Afeni
The World Health Organization (WHO)has called on Nigerians to engage in regular exercise to beat non-communicable diseases.
The WHO Country Representative Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo stated this at the WHO-Walk the Talk event in Abuja, to mark the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup in Doha, Qatar.
Kazadi highlighted that the walk is part of the Sport for Health partnership, a unique partnership between WHO, Federation Internationale de Football Association
(FIFA ) and the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar.
“The WHO has partnered with FIFA to spread the message of health for peace, solidarity and development, to be able to bring about economic development. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to stay healthy and that is the significance of this event.
” We want all Nigerians to ‘Walk the Talk” so that they can join those who are doing the same. As we look forward to the FIFA World Cup and connect to those in Qatar, we want us to know that regular exercise is essential in reducing non-communicable diseases”, she added.
The Director of Health Planning and Statistics of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Ngozi Azodo disclosed that the Government of Nigeria is grateful to FIFA for partnering with the World Health Organization to spread the importance of regular exercise.
“The Ministry is utilizing its communication channels to ensure that Nigerians are physically active, and this should be a preventive response to non-communicable diseases. There are two major plans for preventing the spread of non-communicable diseases, the first one is regular physical exercise, and the second part is consuming quality food and nutrition.
” If we watch what we eat, engage in physical exercise and deviate from consuming alcohol and smoking, then we will be contributing significantly to our health”, she said.
