Mombasa Residents to Participate in Health Awareness Walk
By Harrison Kivisu
Email, tecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
At Least 1,600 residents of Mombasa are set to take part in a historic 30 kilometer walk in the spirit of keeping fit and creating health awareness amid rising lifestyle diseases that have bidevilled a number of Kenyan population.
The walk,convened by Mombasa Walk Movement, will start from Sabasaba in Mombasa town,through Changamwe and portreitz to the newly built Dongo Kundu By-pass in Jomvu,approximated to be over a 30 Kilometer distance.
“Over 1,600 participants have already signed up for the historic first-ever walk on the stunning Dongo Kundu.The road project is not just a road,it represents sustainable development offering a vital artery for the region that is set to transform both transport and economic growth,”said Major Idris Abdirahman, founder and chairman of the Mombasa walk Movement.
The participants will experience stunning views from iconic landmarks like Mwache Tsunza and Mteza bridges before concluding the walk at Likoni Checkpoint.
According to Abdurahman The event has attracted a diverse number of participants with 932 (55.6) percent women and 744 (44.4) percent men and 26.4 being from Generation Z.
The event will take place on October 10, 2024. “As we count down to October 10th, it’s time to start preparing, get your daily workouts in, stretch those legs, and most importantly, stay hydrated,”Abdirahman Added through a statement shared to newsrooms.
“Mombasa Walk Movement is a vibrant community-based organization dedicated to promoting healthy living and advocating for the use of preventive medicine in managing chronic diseases.
The movement is also aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 3, 11, 13 and 17 which advocate for good health and well-being, sustainable cities and communities, climate action and partnerships for the goals.
“We are thrilled by the overwhelming response,we are very excited to see a strong turn out of the young adults at 52.1 percent,with Gen X representing 21.5 percent and millennials by 24,6 percent,”said Abdirahman.
It believes in the power of walking as a social activity that not only enhances physical fitness but also fosters a sense of togetherness and all-around well-being.
Lifestyle diseases share risk factors similar to prolonged exposure to three modifiable lifestyle behaviours — smoking, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity — and result in the development of chronic diseases, specifically heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and some types of cancer.
Today, chronic diseases are a major public health problem worldwide. In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 61 per cent of all deaths — 35 million — and 49 per cent of the global burden of disease were attributable to chronic diseases.
By 2030, the proportion of total global deaths due to chronic diseases is expected to increase to 70 per cent and the global burden of disease to 56 per cent. The greatest increase is anticipated in the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions.
