South Africa will tomorrow join the international community in celebrating 'Move for Health', which is an international event aimed at promoting physical activity.
To mark the event and to get South Africans to embrace healthy living, Deputy Health Minister Dr Gwen Ramokgopa will tomorrow address thousands of healthcare workers in Garankuwa, just outside Pretoria.
Promotion of healthy living is at the centre of the government’s provision of quality health care to the people of South Africa.
Tomorrow, a group of students at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), led by Ramokgopa will take a 3km health walk to promote physical activity amongst youth during the celebration of 10 May 2011.
The Department of Health launched the campaign in 2005 with the slogan Vuka South Africa, move for your health. It is now part of the government’s programme to create 'Long and healthy life for all South Africans.'
The department aims to encourage the public to practice physical activities such as exercising regularly, walking, playing active games, swimming as well as cycling. Physical inactivity is widely recognised as a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease diabetes and cancer.
According to the Youth Risk Behaviour and Global Youth Tobacco Surveys South African youth have risky behavioural patterns such as alcohol and substance abuse, smoking, lack of exercise, unhealthy eating resulting in obesity.
The Department of Health’s health promotion programme consists of five components. Namely nutrition, promotion of physical activity, tobacco control, promotion of safer sex practices and combating of substance and alcohol abuse.
The media is invited to cover this event which takes place as follows:
Date: 10 May 2011
Venue: TUT (Garankuwa campus) near George Mukhari Hospital
Time: 07h00
For more information please contact:
Bhungani Mzolo
Cell: 071 600 8927
Fidel Hadebe
Cell: 079 517 3333
