HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND ENVIRONMENT

1. HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND ENVIRONMENT OUTLINE OF 2007 PROGRAMME

2. HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND ENVIRONMENT • The overall aim of the health sector is to promote healthy lifestyles and reduce risk factors that arise from nutritional, environmental, economic, social and behavioural causes • Provide information • Making the right choice for healthy living • Main disease burden • Due to neglect of basic environmental practices • Changes in dietary habits • Physical activities • Adoption of life threatening behaviour

3. 2007 THRUST • Increased activity in the area of communication and advocacy • Capacity building in health promotion • Enhanced collaboration • Better understanding of the risk factors • Develop strategies to enable individuals, families and communities make the right choices for better health

4. RESULTS • Prevalence of adult and child obesity to decrease • Track (downward trend) Mean systolic BP of the population • Prevalence of tobacco use to reduce • Per capita alcohol consumption to reduce • Percentage condom use to increase • % Food vendors who are clinically certified to increase • % Of household with access to portable water to increase

5. PROGRAMMES • 2007 Focus: • Regenerative health and nutrition • Public Health Legislation • Inter-sectoral Advocacy and Action

6. REGENERATIVE HEALTH AND NUTRITION • In 2007, the focus is on the development of a national regenerative and nutrition programme. • Specifically: • Ensuring lifestyles that promote health • Healthy eating • Regular exercises and Resting • Improving personal hygiene • Improving food safety and drinking potable water • Improving environmental sanitation

7. Programmes and Broad Activities • Develop behavioural change communication strategies • Strengthen collaboration with the private sector to implement national BCC strategy • Build capacity and reorient the health workers on Regenerative Health and Nutrition Services • Promote establishment of agents of change within communities, schools and workplaces • Advocate for the provision of adequate sanitation in the first and second cycle institutions • Initiate setting up of Regenerative Health and Nutrition Centers

8. PUBLIC HEALTH LEGISLATION • Key issues: • Legislation for protecting the environment exists but is not being enforced • Advocate for the laws to be enforced • Create awareness on the existing laws • In 2007, the policy thrust will be to ensure strong advocacy in the implementation of the public health laws

9. Programmes and Broad Activities • Finalise and disseminate the public health laws • Collaborate with law enforcement agencies to enforce public health the laws • Explore opportunities for introducing sin taxes • Dissemination of International Health Regulations

10. INTER-SECTORAL ADVOCACY AND ACTION • Recognize that the health sector can not do it alone • Activities of some sectors impact directly or indirectly on the health sector • Need for coordination • Establish more effective work relations between the health sector and other sectors • Emphasis on the home, neighborhood, place of work, recreation and schools • 2007 will focus on strengthening inter-sectoral action around the key health challenges and settings

11. Programmes and Broad Activities • Consolidate ongoing intersectoral activities such as ICC for EPI, Guniea Worm, RBM, IDD ect. • Build capacity and re-orient the health sector towards inter-sectoral action • Develop a framework for inter-sectoral collaboration and action in schools work places and communities • Collaborate with: • MoLG, WRWH and EPA to improve water and sanitation • MoE - healthy schools programme with emphasis on hygiene, physical exercise and school feeding • Ensure food safety by promoting collaboration between FDB, Standards Board, MLGRD and Police to develop and enforce standards for the production, storage, sale and handling of foods and drinks in markets, restaurants, vendors, etc.

12. SUMMARY • Provide information and necessary support systems to help people make healthy life choices