Museveni walks 5km on National Day of Physical Activity

President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday trekked five kilometres as part of festivities to mark National Day of Physical Activity.

Museveni the walk started from Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, through to the Lugogo bypass, and continued through Jinja Road, Wampewo Avenue Round-About and back to Kololo Independence Grounds.

Trekking alongside the Head of State, was health minister Ruth Aceng and state minister for health (general duties) Sarah Opendi, among other health ministry officials.

Also present were the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Uganda Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam.

School children and physical exercise enthusiasts also took part in the walk. Ambulance services were on hand to provide emergency health service response.

The festivities were held under the theme ‘My Health, My Responsibility'. The event was conducted as part of a public sensitisation campaign to drum up support for physical activity, to prevent non-communicable diseases (NDCs).

NCDs are diseases that are resultant from lifestyle habits, and not through direct transmission from one person to another. 

NCDs include strokes, most heart diseases, most cancers, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cataracts, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, among others.

Officiating at the flag-off ceremony, Museveni asked the doctors to deepen the understanding and explain to the public the cruciality of exercise and the methodical functions of the lungs.

"Doctors have to do more and explain why lungs carry more air. You (doctors) need to do more," said Museveni. 

Aceng stressed that free check up on NCDs would be conducted throughout the day.