The Ministry of Health Wellness and Elderly Affairs wishes to express support for the National Insurance Corporation's National Sneaker Day Initiative. This year, the NIC has partnered with the Ministry of Health’s Saint Lucia Moves Campaign. This campaign is aimed at encouraging citizens to engage in regular physical activity as a means of combating Non-Communicable Diseases or NCDs. We need to highlight the burden that conditions such as High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, and Chronic Kidney Disease poses on our nation. 82% of our mortality, is a result of NCDs. This means that 82% of our people who are dying, die as a result of those conditions. Most of these are premature deaths. NIC has also noticed a significant increase in sickness and disability linked to those same NCDs. The good news is, there is something we can do about it, to ensure our future generations are not as affected by, Stroke, Heart Attack, Kidney Failure and other complications of Hypertension and Diabetes as we are today.
Physical activity has been established as one of the most effective health protective habits to achieve an improved state of wellness. Lifestyle changes including physical activity, healthy eating, smoking cessation, limited use of alcohol and highly processed foods can all help reduce the risks of developing NCDs.
This is why the Ministry of Health Wellness and Elderly Affairs invites not only our workforce, but the general public to join us in recognizing National Sneaker Day! Do more physical activity, park further away from your office, take a walk when you get that cell phone call, and wear comfortable shoes which will encourage us all to move more. "Douvan Ansamn-One People Shaping Our Destiny"