Health Ministry launches awareness campaign on lifestyle diseases

In an attempt to move citizens away from an unhealthy lifestyle to a healthier one, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the ministry is working on another step to reduce the incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCD) like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Addressing the media yesterday at the launch of TT Moves, an awareness campaign addressing NCDs, at the Brian Lara Promenade, Port of Spain, Deyalsingh said those who suffer from NCDs end up in hospitals, clogging the accident and emergency departments.

He said yesterday’s event is a continuation of a plan the ministry launched earlier this year to get this country to move from an unhealthy lifestyle to a healthier one.

“When I say a healthier lifestyle, I mean how we eat, how we exercise, controlling our stress levels, moving away from this, as social-media electronic toys which shackle us to a device and we sit down.

“We have to start to exercise some more. Simple walking, simple jogging. We have to bring into our diets healthier options like fruits. Today we are giving out fruits and fruit trees. We want people "to gradually change their lifestyles, not change today for tomorrow.”