THE Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) is collaborating with Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) in the country to address the issue of high rate of Non-Communicable Disease (NCDs).
The NCDs prevention and control: ‘Linking FBOs and Non-Communicable Diseases Summit’ held last week in Honiara brought together more than 20 church representatives.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) Deputy Secretary Health Improvement, Dr Nemia Bainivalu in his keynote address highlighted that faith-based organizations are uniquely positioned to reach people in every village in every community.
“This reach is not just an advantage. It is a profound responsibility. Together, we can redefine how we approach health and wellness in our society.
“Strengthening the role of churches with awareness around NCDs prevention and control is critical as it crosscuts across all socio- economic levels in any society.
“Faith-based organizations have a unique advantage in promoting holistic understanding and creating that urgency when it comes to empowering individuals to make healthier choices that meet physical and spiritual needs,” Dr Bainivalu said.
Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM) and the Vice President of the Provincial Mothers Union, Deborah Kole also highlighted the importance of this collaboration.
“This is very important for awareness purposes and as an educated woman myself, I thought I was well versed with NCDs but through this summit, I have learned so much.
“NCDs starts in homes and therefore addressing this issue, also needs to start in homes.
“NCDs is at a crisis point and the collaboration with the Health Ministry and Medical Services is important because it means that faith-based organizations, including Mothers Union, have members right down to the grassroots level and can carry out NCDs awareness,” Mrs Kole said.
NCDs National Coordinator in MHMS, Nevlayn Laesango said they have decided to include activities for faith-based organizations in the NCDs multisectoral plan in 2020 and since then, they have been involving them in NCDs awareness and they also have the faith-based organizations in their operational plan.
“The ministry doesn’t have enough manpower and so working with the churches helps us address the issue of NCDs by creating awareness around prevention and control that reaches all levels in a community,” Mrs Laesango stressed.
Director for Adventist Health Services, Dr Chester Kuma highlighted the Christian doctrine that the body of a person is the temple of the Holy Spirit and in this context, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, marijuana addition and the eating of unhealthy food is not right.
“We believe that the scriptures have a lot of health instructions and as churches, we tend to relate the scriptures to these areas.”
The three-day summit was an opportunity for the faith-based organizations, MHMS, Pacific Community (SPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to discuss how to:
• Strengthen the Role of Churches in NCDs prevention and Control Initiatives and to Review MOU with MHMS, NCDs with FBO (2020 – 2024);
• Improve understanding of the health, social and economic burden, and commitment to address NCDs at the global, regional and national level;
• Enhance knowledge on the principle of approach to prevent and control NCD through targeting common risk factors; and
• Role of Churches in tackling NCDs, and advocacy for engaging community stakeholders.
“The NCDs Department is prioritizing the inclusion of faith-based organizations in its annual work plan budget formulation for 2025.
The meeting concluded with strong recommendations to revive the NCDs Alliance that was set up in 2019 and also to finalize and endorse the terms of reference for the National NCDs Multisectoral Committee so that it includes faith-based organizations.
Approximately 70 percent of deaths in Solomon Islands are caused by NCDs.
The NCDs prevention and control: Linking FBO and Non-Communicable Diseases Summit was facilitated by MHMS, SPC and WHO with funding support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the New Zealand Ministry of Affairs and Trade.
By RAYMOND HULANGA
Solomon Star, Honiara
