Ministry of Health Launches National Awareness Campaign on Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases

The Ministry of Health, represented by the Department for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases, launched today, Monday, the national campaign for raising awareness of non-communicable chronic diseases and early detection, at The Avenues Mall. The campaign will run throughout October at several primary healthcare centers and will conclude on October 29 at the ministry’s general diwaniya.

Dr. Wafaa Al-Kandari, Director of the Department for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases, told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the campaign aligns with developmental and strategic plans to enhance public health.

Al-Kandari noted that the focus is on raising awareness about heart and vascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory diseases, which are the leading causes of death locally and globally. She emphasized that addressing risk factors directly contributes to preventing illness and avoiding premature death.

She clarified that the campaign kicked off at The Avenues Mall and will continue throughout the month across various primary healthcare centers according to an approved schedule published on the ministry’s platforms. The core objective is to consolidate healthy lifestyles and reduce risky behaviors such as smoking, unhealthy nutrition, physical inactivity, and obesity.

Dr. Al-Kandari praised the broad partnership that ensured the success of the event, highlighting the collaboration of the Health Promotion, Primary Care, School Health, and Physical Therapy departments, as well as the academic participation of the College of Public Health with its students and staff. She also acknowledged the involvement of civil society organizations, including the Kuwait Heart Association and the National Campaign for Cancer Awareness (KANC).

For her part, Dr. Lamea Al-Aradi, Senior Public Health Specialist at the Department for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases, told KUNA in a similar statement that the campaign’s opening aims primarily to improve the quality and standard of healthy living in the country, provide the public with reliable medical information, and intensify early detection programs for non-communicable diseases. She stated that the campaign’s message is “Your health starts with a step,” to promote proactive prevention.

Dr. Al-Aradi noted that 15 entities, both within and outside the ministry, are participating in the campaign, including the World Health Organization, as well as the Nutrition and Catering, Primary Care, and Nursing departments, alongside the Kuwait Heart Association and the Kuwait Obesity Association. This reflects the concerted national and international efforts to combat chronic diseases.