NHCO News : Half-Half Fitness Initiative : NHCO Thailand encourage Thai people to do an exercise and reduce NCDs
Source and Photo credit : The Standard & The Standard Sport, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BVFdaq7oc/
Thailand National Health Commission Office (NHCO) has introduced new idea called “Half-Half Fitness Initiative” in which the government will subsidize the fitness fees to motivate Thais to exercise more and reduce their risk on Non-communicable Disease such as diabetes, hypertension, hearth disease and certain cancers, which are currently causes of death in Thailand.
Exercise at gyms, weather running on the treadmill, cycling, weight training and joining workout classed help burn calories, control body weight, lower blood sugar and blood pressure as well as strengthen muscles and the heart. They are all crucial factors to prevent NCDs.
Dr Sophon Mekthon, Chair of the participatory public policy development committee explained that beyond the half-half fitness scheme, another idea is “Healthy Retirement Lottery” where people can accumulate “calorie credits” from exercises to win a prize with an aim to encourage Thais to do more an exercise, achieve their weight control or weight reduction and promote long term healthy lifestyle.
The meeting also discussed the “NCDs Ecosystem Framework” with 3-5-5 approach which are.
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Three mechanism: behavior economics, fiscal mechanisms, social credits
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Five core measures: reducing harmful products, promoting healthy products, creating supportive environments for healthy lifestyles, restricting advertising, developing human capacities
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Five supporting system: policy standard, innovation, surveillance system, evaluation system and supporting system for investment
Effort to reduce NCDs will be implemented at both national and local levels. For example, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration plans to use land taxes measure to turn vacant lots to 15 minutes park. Several provinces have applied Calories Credit Challenge (CCC) model, where exercise reward with points, while Local Health Fund (LHF) are being used to create local health system charter on NCDs prevention.
Meanwhile, NHCO is preparing to include NCDs issues to the 14th National Economic and Social Development Plan and bring this issue forward as major agenda item at Thailand National Health Assembly 18 (NHA 18) in this November to push forward concrete measures to prevent and reduce NCDs across the country.