Healthy Lifestyles and
Non-Communicable Diseases
Program Coordinator: Olayinka Olatunbosun
Contact us: [email protected]
Find out more
Focus Areas
Prevention of NCDs and Health Promotion (incl healthy habits)
The mind,heart & body.
Malta was named the most obese country in Europe in 2016, also it has a great incidence of Cardiovascular diseases as well mental health issues. That is why they organised a campaign that was aimed at the general public. It took place on 1. of October in 2017 and it was set on a public place so the people reached would be of all ages thus making it more useful for the general population.
The aim of the campaign was prevention, control and in some cases also curing the diseases. From 9am till 2pm the citizens had a chance to measure their blood pressure, glucose level, BMI, engage in physical activity, educate themselves about mental health and other NCDs.
Cancer
Spot it:
Education organised by IFMSA-Québec. According to WHO, one out of three diagnosed cancers is a skin cancer. As ozone levels are depleted, the atmosphere loses more and more of its protective filter function and more solar UV radiation reaches the Earth’s surface, which, in association with the rising incidence of melanomas, exacerbates the need for proper skin protection awareness. Target groups are students in grades 9 through 11 and general population. Objectives were to assess prior knowledge of students on the topic,provide relevant information on primary and important skin cancer identification and prevention,provide resources and follow-up opportunities for students in case they have questions.
It is a peer-to-peer education project which consists of an one-hour interactive presentation on the topic of skin protection. The presentation is divided into three parts: the first examines the deleterious effects of UV rays on our skin from an aesthetic point of view (wrinkles, brown spots, skin thickening), the second revolves around skin cancer, particularly melanoma (risk factors, screening, pronostic) and the last part deals with cancer prevention methods (sunscreen, sun protection and tanning alternatives).
Tobacco Prevention
Anti Smoking Project: Project by IFMSA Jordan.
According to the WHO; in 2015, over 1.1 billion people smoked tobacco. According to a global study; Jordan topped Middle East countries in the prevalence of smoking among males, and third in terms of female smokers. This study showed that the rate of smoking among Jordanian men was 43.4 percent in 2012, while the prevalence of smoking among females in Jordan stood at 8.5 per cent. 51% of Jordanians are exposed to passive smoking in public areas.
Targeted groups are medical students, governments, children and adolescents. Objectives are a smoke-free environment by raising awareness on the effects of smoking and equipping medical students with skills and knowledge needed to fight smoking, also to decrease the incidence of smokers and passive smokers in Jordan and to highlight the deleterious effects of tobacco as a risk factor for NCDs.
Diabetes
Don’t sugar coat it:
Educational campaign in organization of MMSA Malta. It has been estimated that around 10% of the Maltese adult population suffers from diabetes. Also, studies involving the local population have shown that many people are unaware of their diabetes. Further to this, Malta was named the most obese nation in Europe in 2016. The activity is mainly composed of three events; preparatory workshop, main public event and public educational talk.
The social media campaign is vital to gaining traction, compelling people to attend events and getting the message of empowerment across. Through the number of people in attendance of each event, and insights online we can understand how many people have been reached. The activity aims to raise awareness , educate people and directly offer screenings in relation to diabetes which is of particular importance locally.
Cardiovascular Disease
High Blood Pressure, A silent killer : Project by Ecuador.
Eight million people die every year in the world because of arterial hypertension. 80% of cases occur in developing countries (like ours) according to the International Hypertension Society. Hypertension is a common pathology in our environment, considered a silent killer because it rarely causes symptoms in its initial stages and many people have not been diagnosed in time. As medical students we are able to contribute to the community with information on the health status of people and possible early diagnoses as well as teaching prevention methods, risk factors and pathologies associated with hypertension.activity is aimed at the community in general.
The long-term beneficiaries will be the medical students – who will know about the latest updates – the people who are trained by medical students
– who will be able to recognize early signs of high blood pressure and who will be able to modify their lifestyles – and the country’s doctors, who will be able to give a definitive diagnosis and provide early treatment for patients suffering from high blood pressure. Through the two phases of the activity, an effective way of educating medical students and the population in general will be shown, promoting healthy lifestyles and helping in the prevention and management of high blood pressure. Further. IFMSA will be recognized by medical students, health personnel and people who do not belong to the health area, such as a student organization that is concerned with promoting global health.
Program Proposal
To find our more about the current Program, check the Program Proposal document.
Activities for Healthy Lifestyles and Non-Communicable Diseases Program
Below you may find all the most recent activities that were recognized as part of the Healthy Lifestyles and Non-Communicable Diseases Program.
If you are interested to join IFMSA Program with your activity and have it shown in the Database please visit the IFMSA Programs part of the website and/or contact the program team at [email protected].
| Nr | Program | Enrollment year | Activity | Category | Region | NMO | Standing Committee | Type |
