Aminat Isah, Abuja
The World Health Organisation (WHO) , United Nations (UN) in collaboration with partners has called the attention of Nigerians to the dire need to regular exercise.
Officer in–Charge of WHO in Nigeria, Dr Clement Lugala Peter, gave the call at the free walk, run, dance event, tagged: ‘‘Abuja Walk the Talk: “The Health for All Challenge” which saw UN agencies, international and local NGOs, Diplomatic missions, Civil Societies and members of the public in attendance in Abuja.
The walk according to Clement it is not only to call attention to the need for universal health coverage but to re-emphasize the benefits of exercise to the health and well-being of individuals.
‘‘Today is successful, we have achieved a lot the participators from government, from UN agencies , to the public is that we have achieved a lot. What we need to do is to ensure that we can sustain the walk so it can become something we do monthly, to help us live healthier in this country, I thank everyone who have participated and contributed to this walk the talk today,” he said.
The President, Well Being Foundation, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, who also participated in the walk, said the challenge is to find ways to make everybody aware of the benefits of regular exercise to their health.
‘‘We advise that everybody should walk at least 35 minutes, three times a week, it curbs diabetes, heart disease, obesity and it just generally makes you feel much better’’ she says.
But more importantly she stressed that the walk was to ‘‘challenge duty bearers on the need for affordable quality health care that will not plunge people into misery when they fall ill’’
According to the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Edward Kallon, continuity of the initiative will go a long way to achieving expected outcomes for Universal health coverage in Nigeria.
About 6,500 persons participated in the second edition of the 8 kilometers Walk the Talk Challenge held in the FCT.
