Hundreds of health experts, civil society representatives, journalists, teachers, women and youth took part in PANAH’s Annual Health Awareness Walk in Murree to spotlight the scale of Pakistan NCDs and the urgent need for preventive action.
The walk was led by Maj. Gen. (R) Masood-ur-Rehman Kiani and hosted by PANAH General Secretary Sana Ullah Ghumman, with prominent participation from Dr. Qayyum Awan and Dr. Shahnaz. Organizers used the event to draw attention to alarming national figures: more than 41 percent of adults are overweight or obese and over 33 million people are living with diabetes.
Maj. Gen. (R) Masood-ur-Rehman Kiani warned that unhealthy dietary habits, driven by rising consumption of ultra-processed products, sugary drinks, excessive salt and unhealthy fats, are accelerating heart disease and diabetes across Pakistan. He stressed that adopting healthier eating patterns, regular physical activity and daily walking can substantially reduce the burden of NCDs.
Dr. Shahnaz urged that protecting public health remain a national priority and praised PANAH’s sustained awareness and advocacy work. She emphasized the shared responsibility of parents and schools to instill healthy eating habits in children and adolescents to prevent long-term risk of obesity and chronic disease.
Dr. Qayyum Awan framed access to healthy food as a fundamental right for every child and warned that poor dietary patterns in childhood substantially raise the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life. He called on families to prioritise nutritious diets and regular physical activity for healthy development.
PANAH General Secretary Sana Ullah Ghumman reiterated that the organisation has worked for over four decades to protect Pakistanis from heart disease and other non-communicable diseases through research, advocacy and public awareness. He urged policymakers, media, educators, civil society and parents to unite around concrete steps such as reducing sugary drinks and ultra-processed products while promoting physical activity to safeguard future generations.
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and expanding awareness across Pakistan to tackle the Pakistan NCDs crisis at source.
