19th July, 2019 The first inaugural National NCDs Strategy 2020-2025 Planning meeting was held yesterday at Tanoa International Dateline Hotel. The meeting was hosted by Tonga Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to start formulating frameworks to control and prevent NCDs in Tonga for the next five years.
The strategy will also include areas believed to affect Tonga such as food and how to prepare healthy meals, physical activities, smoking and alcohol consumption. Illicit drugs are also proposed to be included in the framework.
CEO for Health Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola said that 70% of these areas are beyond the ministry’s reach hence why the meeting brought together stakeholders who are responsible for those areas to discuss issues.
“It is of great significant to bring the stakeholders together for the purpose of sharing, creating and implementing strategies to handle these issues in the coming five years.”
“It is clear that people only eat nutritious food when they are having health problems and many often return to the habit of unhealthy eating. Therefore, this is an individual choice yet the trickiest part for them to resolve is how to convince people to make the right choice when it comes to food and maintaining healthy diet.”
“More meetings, workshops, consultations, and literature reviews will be conducted and will run through until approximately next July and the strategy will be rolled out after.”
ENDS
Issued by the: Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, information, Disaster Management, Environment, and Climate Change & Communications.