THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Move over cars, buses, autorickshaws and school vans create obese school kids. The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in collaboration with the Education Department is launching a series of projects to fight lifestyle diseases, including one that will distribute bicycles for school children.Linking up with the ‘New Delhi Call for Action’ on combating non-communicable diseases in India, following a national meet that was held in August, the NRHM is going out on a multi-pronged strategy to fight non-communicable diseases, which now kills more people than communicable diseases does in the country. The NRHM will be linking up with various State Government Departments, especially the Education, the Local Self-Government and the Social Welfare Department in this campaign. The panchayats could convene special grama sabhas especially on non-communicable diseases, where an awareness can be created and preventive actions be taken. A special grama sabha which would meet once in three months should work well, said Dr S Hafiz, state nodal officer of the non-communicable disease prevention programme.Volleyball will be especially promoted, with the government going in for panchayat-level, taluk-level and district-level volleyball championships. Physical exercises or yoga will be made mandatory in schools to prevent children becoming sedentary. As per the integrated plan of action against lifestyle diseases, school grounds will be let open to the public for a specific time in the morning as well as evening to encourage walking and jogging among people. The 12th plan has a special focus on prevention of non-communicable diseases and initially the programme will be implemented in Pathanamthitta and four other districts, said K Elangovan, NRHM director.The panchayats will invest in health by creating walkways and parks for the public and encourage activities of the youth clubs to improve the health of the youth. They will take measures to reduce the public intake of junk food and materials such as pan masalas and other intoxicating materials, especially near the schools. The panchayats are also to formulate projects for the increased production of fruits and vegetables. The restaurants and bakeries in the purview of the panchayat will be discouraged from serving unhealthy food. What’s more, a gathering of mothers will be formed at Anganwadis, who will be given cooking classes and recipes of healthy food, apart from creating an awareness on the need for physical exercises.
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