More than 350 people joined Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in the 'Health for All' walkathon organised by his ministry on Friday on the occasion of World Health Day.

The participants walked from Vijay Chowk to Nirman Bhawan in central Delhi passing through Kartavya Path and India Gate to spread awareness about healthy habits to keep away non-communicable diseases at bay and have positive effects on mental well-being.

Apart from Mandaviya, Minister of State for Health Bharti Pravin Pawar also took part in the walkathon.

The participants took a pledge to adopt healthy and active living to prevent and control lifestyle-related health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, mental illness and cancer.

Mandaviya thanked everyone for their participation in the event.

"India has the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam where we think about the progress of all and not just self. This philosophy was followed during the Covid crisis when India provided vaccines and medical supplies to the countries in need without considering any commercial profits.

"India has been at the forefront of helping every stakeholder. With this spirit, India is working for the health of its citizens and the world," the Union health minister said.

Highlighting the significance of health in the country's development, Mandaviya said, "Under the leadership of the prime minister, India has connected health to development. Only healthy citizens can create a healthy society and, in turn, a developed nation. In this Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, I urge you all to work together to create a developed and healthy India." Pawar noted that the "Health for all" concept originates from the fact that a healthy person not only contributes positively to their family but also to society. World Health Day aims to promote awareness among people towards the importance of good health.

Non-communicable diseases currently account for more than 63 per cent of all deaths in the country and are linked with major behavioural risk factors such as the use of tobacco and alcohol, poor dietary habits, insufficient physical activity and air pollution, the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.

One of the major risk factors for non-communicable diseases is physical inactivity. According to the National NCD Monitoring Survey (2017-18), 41.3 per cent of Indians are physically inactive. Physical activity not only lowers the risk of non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer but also has positive effects on mental health, and delays the onset of dementia.

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