By Albert Allotey
Accra, May 15, GNA – Ghana has launched a National Multi-Stakeholder Coordinating Committee (NMCC) to help fight Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) through community sports.
The 34-member NMCC, which will operate on a one-year pilot basis, seeks to oversee the effective implementation of the activities of the Community Partnership in Sport and Health Initiative and facilitate policy recommendations.
This follows an earlier agreement during a multilateral meeting organized by the International Olympic Committee through the Olympism365 program together with PATH, an international non-governmental organization to co-create and plan the implementation of the initiative.
The Community Sports and Health Cooperation Initiative aims to improve access, improve knowledge and strengthen investment in community sport and physical activity to promote healthy living and wellbeing through collective action.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 22 percent of adults aged 18 and over and 81 percent of adolescents in Ghana are not physically active.
He said physical inactivity was one of the main risk factors for CKD, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes, hence NMCC.
During the meeting the committee agreed on the terms of reference as well as the governance structure.
Dr Patience Cofie, Country Manager, PATH Ghana, speaking at the meeting, said the NMCC would among others coordinate activities and identify opportunities to leverage and strengthen the activities of partners in sports and health initiatives.
He noted that PATH Ghana will serve as the secretariat of the multi-stakeholder coordination meeting as and when required.
Dr. George Amofah, the Technical Director of Non-Communicable Diseases PATH, urged committee members to be open and share data so they can know what each institution did to shape what already existed.
He said physical inactivity was a major factor leading to NCDs in the country, saying: “If you are part of a group that is fighting this, then your nomination is critical because you have an important role to play.”
Institutions represented on the committee include, National Olympic Committee, UNICEF, WHO, University of Ghana- Directorate of Sports, Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Sports Authority, National Youth Authority, JICA, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health, Metropolitan Akra Assembly , and PATH.
The rest are UN-Habitat, Coalition of NGOs in Health, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Chiefs and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Local Government, USAID, French Embassy, CIDA, Sports for the President and the mass media.
GNA