Thiruvananthapuram: The southern Indian state of Kerala has won a United Nations award for its “outstanding contribution” towards the non-communicable diseases-related sustainable development goals.
The UN Interagency Task Force (UNIATF) award this year on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases was announced September 24 by World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The award recognizes achievements during 2019 on the multisectoral action in the prevention and control of NCDs, mental health and the wider NCD-related sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja said the award was recognition of the tireless service of the state in the health sector.
“The state government has arranged facilities from the basic public health centers to hospitals at all levels to treat the lifestyle diseases,” Shailaja said in a statement. “We were able to control the death rate during the Covid-19 period as we were able to focus on the NCDs.”
She congratulated all the health workers for the achievement of the state.
This is the first time the state has been recognized for the annual award. Kerala is among the seven ministries of health across the world.
The Kerala government release said the award was a recognition of the lifestyle disease control mechanism in Kerala, and the treatment and free services received by a large section of the population.
“In addition, the state-of-the-art lung disease control program, cancer treatment program and paralysis control program were also considered for the award,” it said.
Source: ndtv.com
Health is wealth. Hearty congratulations to Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja and her tireless troops.