Minister of Sports, Fitness, and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu has highlighted the significant rise in non-communicable diseases due to an inactive lifestyle. He made these remarks during the opening ceremony of the third round table meeting, organised in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Sports, Fitness, and Recreation.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Rafiu stressed the critical importance of regular exercise and physical fitness in preventing non-communicable diseases. He expressed concern over the increasing prevalence of such diseases in the Maldives, attributing it primarily to the lack of physical activity caused by modern, sedentary lifestyles. He further pointed out that technological advancements have contributed to weight gain and a higher incidence of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, which are extremely challenging to manage without a healthy lifestyle.
The meeting also featured the introduction of the "Fit Maldives" application, the first fitness app in the Maldives with premier features designed to promote a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, UNICEF's representative to the Maldives, Dr. Edward Addai, emphasized the rising healthcare costs and the necessity of maintaining an active lifestyle to foster a healthy society.
The primary objective of the round table meeting was to develop a comprehensive action plan for promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. As part of this initiative, the "Kaigen Hingama" activity, aimed at encouraging a healthy lifestyle, was launched. The meeting was attended by officials from the health and fitness sectors.