The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Lesotho, in commemoration of its 75th Anniversary recently launched a monthly fun walk in Maseru tagged, " Health for All, Walk the Talk Challenge".
Regular physical activity is proven to help prevent and manage noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and several cancers. It also helps prevent hypertension, maintain healthy body weight and can improve mental health, quality of life and well-being. Physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for noncommunicable diseases mortality. People who are insufficiently active have a 20% to 30% increased risk of death compared to people who are sufficiently active.
Speaking moments prior the maiden walk, WHO Representative to Lesotho, Dr Richard Banda, said it was evident that a vast number of individuals around the continent led busy lifestyles and didn’t take enough time out to look after their bodies. He said good health was essential and instrumental for an overall good life, and emphasized that a healthy individual’s body stood a good chance to easily fighting off diseases as opposed to an unhealthy one – this is mostly proven to be true because the healthier you are the less the risk.
“For all those present today, I humbly would like to applaud you as this is very important and will be beneficial for your well-being in the long run, but let’s not forget that exercising is essential and important for the health of the whole country and continent. This is just the beginning, but we hope in the future you are still going to join us when partaking in other physical activities – this even though we are quite aware you can still do some of the exercises on your own,” he said.
The first walk the talk challenge had in attendance over 50 participants, covering a distance of about 5km. Commencing from the United Nations House, the walk, proceeded eastwards along the Mpilo Boulevard, taking a sharp turn just before the Ha-Hoohlo industrial intersection, going around the Chinese Embassy at the arrival centre, before heading back to the starting point just after the Maseru Golf Course’s main entrance.
Join WHO and its partners in Lesotho every First Friday of the month in the Health for All, Walk the Talk Challenge and celebrate our shared commitment to get moving for physical and mental health.