Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is on the rise in Papua New Guinea and it is accounted for 47% of the total deaths, including 20% of deaths attributed to emerging NCDs and 27% of deaths due to endemic non-communicable diseases. Leading causes of deaths (CODs) from emerging non-communicable diseases identified include cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and diabetes.
This is due to Papua New Guineans' attitude towards food choices and the lifestyle the people live.
To help combat NCDs in the country, the church has initiated the program, "10,000 Toes as a packet to fight NCD, in particular the diabetes epidemic."
Seventh-day Adventist Church's contribution to decreasing lifestyle diseases, has initiated the program 10,000 Toes Campaign to combatting, arresting and reversing diabetes and the other lifestyle diseases.
Vanimo 10,000 Ambassadors training just had their training from February 12 to 23, 2024. In the training, the local churches sent three participants representing the churches of Aimbai, Sombol, Amanab, Bewani, and Ituly SDA Local Churches. These churches are from the rural outskirts of Vanimo, while in the urban area, we have participants from Tawa, Waraston, and Vanimo Village SDA Churches. Twenty-four (24) participants were chosen by the local churches, while another five participants were enrolled because they were interested in being part of the 10,000 Toes Campaign, and a total of 29 ambassadors graduated.
Interestingly, the Church Regional Supervisor and Bewani Green District Director attended the training and were graduated among the church members who graduated that day.
The ambassadors were trained on 10,000 Toes Bio metric-weight, height, BMI, blood pressure, blood sugar level, knowing the normal and identifying the abnormal. They were also trained on the Live More Abundantly (LMA) as a Lifestyle Medicine package to treat lifestyle diseases.
Now, Sepik Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has 49 10,000 Toes Ambassadors and is looking to increase this number when 10,000 Toes go rural in East Sepik Province.
10,000 Toes Campaign against Diabetes & Save 10,000 Toes from amputations.
