As Ghana marks yet another National Fitness Day on Saturday October 12, PATH Ghana, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to achieving health equity, is encouraging Ghanaians to prioritise physical activity to stay healthy. Regular physical activity, health experts say, helps to prevent Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as heart diseases and diabetes, while research has also shown that 30 minutes of physical activity a day has significant health benefits for hearts, bodies and minds. It is against this background that PATH Ghana is implementing the Community Health and Sports Cooperation Initiative in partnership with the Ghana Olympics Committee (GOC), International Olympic Committee (IOC), World Health Organisation (WHO), and Ghana Health Service to advocate for increased physical activity with the goal of reducing the burden of NCDs in Ghana. Consequently, PATH and its partners including the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Afigya Kwabre South District Assembly, have commemorated the Nat ional Fitness Day, which aims to inspire Ghanaians to make time for daily physical activity at Afrancho. Hundreds of people participated in the walk through the principal streets of Afrancho in the Afigya Kwabre South Distric after which they engaged in various physical activities. Ghana is one of five countries that are part of the Community Health and Sports Cooperation Initiative, which seeks to strengthen ties between the sport and health sectors by implementing co-created sports-based community programmes. These programmes delivered jointly by sport, health, education, and local government stakeholders, is expected to increase participation in community organised sport to enhance health and well-being. Meanwhile, a press release issued by PATH Ghana in commemoration of the National Fitness Day, which falls on the second Saturday of every month, said the initiative focused on enhancing community sport and promoting healthy lives to achieve the WHO's target of 15 per cent relative reduction in the glob al prevalence of physical inactivity. The release signed by Dr. Robert Yeboah, Senior Technical Advisor, Non-Communicable Diseases, PATH Ghana, said NCDs continue to burden health systems with insufficiently active individuals facing 20 to 30 per cent increased risk of premature death. 'Promoting physical activity is a key strategy to prevent NCDs, enhance well-being, mental health, cognitive skills and improve overall health,' the statement concluded. Source: Ghana News Agency