Kampala, 14 October 2019: - On Sunday, over 200 United Nations staff in Uganda participated in a run aimed at encouraging them to engage in regular physical activities for better health.

Organized by UN Wellness Team and sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), the staff covered three, five and ten kilometres under the theme ‘Walk the Talk: a WHO Healthy Work Place Initiative’ that was adopted by WHO to promote physical activities globally.

The run that started at City High School was preceded with aerobics and stretches and later staff, their families and friends covered preferred distances around the hilly and leafy Kololo neighbourhood. It was perfect opportunity to break sweat, mingle, get new friends, network and discover nice places around Kololo.

Launched in 2016, the ‘Walk the Talk Initiative’ promotes healthy lifestyles in the workplace and is a demonstration of commitment by WHO to implement resolution made by Member States to address Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). A comprehensive WHO strategy for a healthy workplace covers a broad range of health issues, including physical activity, occupational health, safety and nutrition.

For Uganda, the Sunday run was one of the ways to localize and domesticate the WHO strategy starting with the UN family. “WHO has outdone itself and we hope this will be a quarterly activity. We have to fight the growing obesity and cancers in Uganda”, noted one of staff upon successful completing to 5 kilometres.

Indeed the need for regular physical activities is amplified by findings of the 2014 Uganda STEPS survey that indicated that on average, 4 out of 100 people do not engage in sufficient physical activity defined as less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week. The survey also revealed that the average time spent in physical activity on average stands at 308 minutes per week.

Non-communicable diseases including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease, are collectively responsible for almost 33% deaths in Uganda.

The rise of NCDs is primarily driven by four major risk factors: tobacco use, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diets.

The Sunday run, therefore, if done regularly is one of the ways to tackle one of the risk factors – physical inactivity. The wish among many in the Sunday run was that the UN leadership in Uganda institute it as one the joint and regular activities by staff.

For more pictures follow the link - https://bit.ly/2MBD0Wq