Regina Otokpa Abuja Disturbed over the rate of preventable diseases amongst adults and children, the Federal Government has launched the revised National Health Promotion Policy 2019 and its ancillary strategic policy documents, to guide, empower and effect behaviouralchangestomaintain healthy lifestyles.
The other strategic documents launched were; National Strategic Plan for Health Promotion 2020-2024, Knowledge Management Guideline for Health Promotion 2020- 2024, Counselling Flip Chart on Key Household Practices and Counselling Flip Chart on Family Planning/Child Birth Spacing. Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who presented and launched the policies yesterday in Abuja, stressed that having a good health indices would save individuals and the country the high costs associated with purchase of drugs and medications, enhance socioeconomic development.
According to him, launch of the policy documents was aimed at actualising government’s commitment towards improving the health and wellbeing of the citizenry by highlighting options to making healthier lifestyle choices.
In his words: “Ministry of Health is not only just concerned with treating illness, but attaining and sustaining good citizen health, so that more people enjoy good health and fewer people fall sick.
“These Policy documents will provide guidance for the empowerment of individuals, families, households, groups and communities, with appropriate information on helpful habits, steps and behaviours to maintain good health and reduce the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, but also inform on the negative impact of certain practices.