An enthusiastic crowd took to the streets of Geneva on the eve of the World Health Assembly, 20 May, for WHO's inaugural Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge [1]. Dozens of participants also visited the NCD Alliance booth at Palais de Nations in support of the Health for All vision and featuring materials promoting our Enough campaign [2].
Notable visitors at the booth included Jamaican Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros and Princess Dina Mired. Members of the NCDA Board, Union for International Cancer Control, World Heart Federation, NCD Child, alliances and NGOs from around the world joined NCDA staff to complete one of three routes: 3 km, 5 km and 8 km.
Students in India get active
In India, HRIDAY [3], a member organisation of the Healthy India Alliance [4], organised Youth Walk The Talk events in partnership with St. Mary’s School, Dwarka (Sunday) and Evergreen Secondary School, Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi (Monday).
Senior officials from the WHO Regional Office for the South-East Asia Region (SEARO) and the WHO Country Office for India were present to motivate the walkers and endorse the need to prioritise concerted action to address NCDs.
Participants also endorsed and supported NCDA’s ENOUGH campaign, on the ground and online. They were motivated to become change agents and to act on ensuring that action on NCDs is prioritised at all levels and across sectors in the country.
Policy actions they were urged to advocate for include:
- Eliminating exposure to unhealthy food and beverage advertisements and marketing
- Implementing comprehensive alcohol control policy in the country
- Promoting physical activity for children and adolescents in schools as well in daily living
- Adopting smart fiscal policies to make unhealthy products unaffordable, and
- Improving access for healthy food items.