By Ali Imran
Rawalpindi: A week-long campaign of National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) to create an awareness about Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) concluded here Sunday at its PWD Campus as the speakers urged the students to play an active role in this regard.
Department of Public Health (DPH) organized the advocacy event to mark the Week for NDCs as well as for SDGs from Aug. 15 to Sep. 5. NUMS is a member of NCD Alliance (NCDA) which has been maintaining strategic relations with WHO, UN and Governments for placing NCDs on the agenda of global health and development.
NCDA theme this year was “Invest to Protect” in a drive to bolster the efforts for reducing burden of the NCDs. The highlights of school and community-based awareness campaign was to advocate change on NCDs with the theme, “ACT on NCDs: Healthy Habits and Climate Action for a Sustainable Planet”. The campaign emphasized on the importance of healthy habits and clean air benefits to overall planetary health.
Prof. Dr. Uzma Hassan, Head of Public Health Department, NUMS on the occasion said that the diseases like cardiovascular, chronic respiratory, cancers, diabetes and mental health problems wer constantly on the rise and that these major groups of NCDs account for almost 80% of all premature NCD deaths with more than 77% in Low-and middle-income countries like Pakistan.
Dr. Uzma praised the efforts of Dr. Tamkeen Jaffry, Dr. Hina Shan, Dr. Raima Asif, Miss Rubab Zulfiqar and students of BSPH for a commendable job as their joint efforts helped start a campaign for a sustainable planet.
Prof. Dr. Aisha Mohyuddin, Dean Faculty of Multidisciplinary Studies, NUMS in her remarks urged the University students to continue their endeavors to help create awareness in the community that NCDs could be prevented by adopting healthy lifestyle and behavior change.
Air Cdre Muhammad Ismail, SI(M) (Retd), Director Quality Assurance NUMS, said that Public advocacy event would make the difference in prevention and management of NCDs. The involvement of students at the community level has a great value to raise awareness about SDGs especially with this year’s theme “Flip the Script with a focus on Climate Action, Peace, and Justice”.
