KIGALI, Rwanda
Alphonse Rutazigwa, a Rwandan freelance journalist walks regularly 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from his home to work in the capital Kigali to keep hypertension and diabetes away.
“This has become a personal habit. As I grow older, it has become more meaningful for me to stay healthier and avoid some of the diseases which come with age,” he said.
Besides the health benefits, walking was more helpful for Rutazigwa during the COVID-19 lockdown as public transport was restricted.
Rutazigwa is among many Rwandans, who know the importance of physical fitness in managing disease-free lives, as a new norm with the government also emphasizing physical exercising to eliminate non-communicable diseases.
The government has introduced bi-monthly car-free days in the capital to encourage people to walk to their workplaces and engage in different sporting activities.
The day features running, cycling, jogging, and simple walkouts, drawing residents from different parts of the city.
Claudine Mukagasana, who enjoys jogging, travels from her home in Kimironko, a Kigali city suburb, to join dozens of city dwellers in the physical exercises.
“Sport is health. Doing sports is important to me to prevent other opportunistic diseases such as diabetes,” said Mukagasana.
Since 2016, Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) has partnered to promote the car-free day in Kigali -- during which streets are closed to drivers in a bid to promote a healthy lifestyle for Rwandans.
Sporting activities help people maintain a healthy lifestyle and stave off diseases related to inactivity, according to Rwanda’s Sports Minister Aurore Mimosa who is also a regular attendant of car-free day sporting activities.
The green clean and paved streets which have pedestrian sidewalks and bicycle lanes, coupled with infrastructures such as gyms, swimming pools, and stadiums provide a good opportunity for citizens to exercise.
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, about 40,000 people used to gather at different sites every month with an average of 5,000 people at one site to engage in exercises, according to city authorities.
Although, the government has been encouraging walking and other sporting activities, the prevalence of hypertension is high.
A recent survey conducted by Rwanda Biomedical Centre shows that hypertension prevalence in people aged from 15-64 years was estimated at 15%, meaning that Rwanda has around one million citizens with hypertension.
But only 80,000 people are enrolled in clinics, representing 10% of the population.
“This means that we still have many people with hypertension in the community undiagnosed or not under treatment yet screening services are available at all health centers at a small fee,” said Dr. François Uwinkindi, the non-communicable diseases division manager at Rwanda Biomedical Center.
Community awareness
The Rwanda Biomedical Center says that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected community-based sporting and general physical exercising events, reducing the number of participants, but this is expected to change with time through increasing public awareness and campaigns.
Ahead of World Hypertension Day on May 17, the Rwandan Health Ministry organized a community awareness and screening event on May 14.
The two-day screening was conducted at working places to ensure COVID-19 mitigation measures are observed.
Members of Parliament and Senate were among those who took part in the public screening exercises to set an example.
Solange Uwingabe, a member of parliament used the opportunity to call for collective ownership of the anti-non-communicable disease campaigns.
Uwingabe said Rwandans are lucky as a country to have health facilities for all communities which offers a good opportunity for routine disease screening.
This year, World Hypertension Day is marked under the theme, Measure Your Blood Pressure, Control It, Live Longer to increase high blood pressure awareness in all populations around the world and a focus on accurate blood pressure measurement.
Global statistics indicate that less than 50% of adults with hypertension were aware that they had high blood pressure.
A critical initial step for control of hypertension and achievement of the UN’s 2025 goal is reducing uncontrolled hypertension by 25% by improving diagnosis.
