The four days convergence held at the NaNA Conference Hall for members of Sun Business Network (SBN) aimed at scaling up nutrition in the country and combatting NCDs and its related diseases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Non- Communicable Diseases account for 34% of total annual mortality in The Gambia and kills 41 million people each year worldwide.
Besides, each year 1.5 million people between the ages of 30 and 69 die from NCDs and 85% of those premature deaths occur in low and middle outcomes countries.
“The modified behavioral factors that risk Non-Communicable Diseases are lifestyle, tobacco and alcohol use. The intermediate risk factors are blood lipids, blood pressure, blood glucose, overweight or obesity,” said Haddy Crooks, senior program officer at NaNA, during her presentation.
She noted that in their efforts to combat Non-Communicable Diseases, they are making sure they build the capacities of citizens in ensuring healthy eating.
Ndey Awa Ceesay, founder and manager of Nature Gift Care, a natural food processing company said the aim of the capacity building training was to expose participants on means of processing foods that can be beneficial for human consumption and also combat NCDs.
She stated that the knowledge gained during the training will be beneficial to her and her business.
Mrs. Ceesay advised her fellow participants to practicalise the acquired knowledge and serve as ambassadors in raising citizens awareness.
Yankuba Fatty, another participant, said he learned that safety and quality are the most important in dealing with anything that is consumable to avoid diseases.
He thanked NaNA and partners for the initiative.
Isatou Fofana, a representative of Food Technical Service urged the participants to utilise the knowledge gained by processing their own products in the best manner possible to promote healthy nutrition in The Gambia and avoid NCDs and its related diseases.
