Uganda Insurers Association (UIA) in partnership with the Insurance Training College and the Insurance Brokers Association of Uganda have launched the ‘insurance walk’ to create awareness on lifestyle diseases.

Also called non-communicable diseases, they include heart disease, diabetes, stroke and obesity — a result of lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

UIA chief executive officer Jonan Kisakye launched the Insurance Walk on Thursday at their offices in Kololo, Kampala.

It will be an annual event aimed at driving awareness on lifestyle diseases, which contribute greatly to the cost of health insurance.

“One of the global health challenges is lifestyle-related diseases, most of which can be handled with exercise and healthy eating,” said Kisakye.

“With this inaugural initiative, we hope that we shall achieve better health, better life. The walk will be an annual event to send a message to the public and our clients to take full responsibility of their life in regard to their health."

Kisakye said that although the insurance industry is able to pay claims, the policyholders may not be able to get back their lives 100 percent if they are reckless. He urged the public to "get in the habit of doing exercises and eat healthy".

Josephine Kasekende, the public relations director of the Insurance Brokers Association of Uganda, said the walk is supposed to be an eye-opener for everyone because many people visit hospitals, end up paying a lot of money for consultation and eventually are prescribed Panadol.

“When people eat better and value exercising, our clients who pay a lot of money in premiums in consultation fees for patients who flock health facilities because of stress and other lifestyle-related problems will have relief,” she said.

Kasenkende said that for the insurance industry, the 'Insurance walk' is also a way of managing their loss ratios by making a bit of profit from the services they offer.

Sylvia Mwebesa Kajubi, the deputy principal of the Insurance Training College, advised the public to develop a habit of walking to nearby markets instead of driving or being ridden there.