Sports and Health Promotion week
View(s):The sports ministry has announced a ‘Sports and Health Promotion week since 25th to 30th January 2016. A news item revealed that, the sports ministry plans to establish walking paths and fitness centers in all Divisional Secretariats Islandwide. It is timely, that the ministry takes these steps in promoting sports and aerobic exercises among the public with a view to have a link with ‘Primordial Prevention’ programme for Non communicable Diseases.
Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have been on the rise in the past two decades in Sri Lanka and at present the leading cause of mortality, morbidity and disability. Government hospital statistics indicates that 71% of all annual deaths in Sri Lanka are due to chronic NCDs.(Victims are mostly below 65 years of age) Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes, Cancers and Chronic Respiratory Diseases are now the major NCDs accounting for 29.6, 9.4, 3.9, and 8.5 percent respectively. The common shared risk factors for these diseases are smoking, use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity. (Annual Health Bulletin 2012). All these risk factors are modifiable!
Recent observations revealed that only about 25% of school children participate in sports activities. When it comes to higher education level, participation is very poor, it is only 8%.This is the group comes under threat sooner and future. In adults even though the figures are not available, it must be very unsatisfactory.
National policy for NCD prevention and control is already in place. Ministry of Health initiated establishing Healthy Lifestyle Centers in primary Health Care Institutions. Appointing Medical officers for such centers are still inadequate. Only very few medical officers are trained in sports medicine. This shortcoming should be corrected soon.
It is appreciated that sports ministry takes hand in hand with some other relevant ministries, such as Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Parliamentary Reforms and Media, Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training and Local Government Institutions, during the ‘sports and health promotion week’ to implement an integrated programme for making a strong awareness among public. As ministry expects, this message should go to all segments of community. All the citizens of our country should take responsibility of sustaining this voluble task for long. Relevant ministries especially Sports ministry and health Ministry, should monitor it regularly and do ‘value additions’ and modifications to achieve success.
Dr J. Ranathunga,
MBBS (S.L) M.Sc. (Community Medicine) Rideegama
– Kurunegala 077 9747459