The Arogya City campaign honours and celebrates the pioneering pledgemakers who form a high-impact group, Champions20 (C20) for their commitment to this noble cause
Dr K Sudhakar, Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education, Government of Karnataka, inaugurated the Arogya City summit, to mark the start of a movement to reduce the growth of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the city. Led by Rotary (District 3190), Arogya World, and Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC), the effort calls upon the city’s corporates, entrepreneurs, NGOs and educational institutions to accept the challenge towards making Bengaluru India’s first Arogya City. Statements of support have been received from government entities as well.
Dr Sudhakar said, “NCDs are growing in Bengaluru at an alarming rate and recent surveys have pointed out that 25 per cent of the city’s population are diabetic. Long working hours, a sedentary lifestyle and poor dietary habits are at the root of this surge. The Arogya City initiative has come at the appropriate time and I am confident the movement will aid us in our fight against the problem of NCDs. The Government of Karnataka will extend every support to the Arogya City initiative to transform Bengaluru into India’s First Arogya City.”
The Arogya City campaign honours and celebrates the pioneering pledgemakers who form a high-impact group, Champions20 (C20) for their commitment to this noble cause. They cover the following themes:
- Screening for NCDs (AI Health Highway, Biocon Foundation, Rotary District 3190, Social Alpha, RxDx)
- NCD Prevention and Control (Arogya World, Clinikk, Kempegowda International Airport, Swasti Health Catalyst, Wipro Cares)
- Advancing Mental Health (Mpower an initiative of Aditya Birla Education Trust, The Lalit Ashok)
- Increasing Physical Activity (Jayanagar Jaguars, Nexus Shantiniketan)
- Advancing Health of the Elderly (LVBL, Senior Ji, and Vayah Vikas)
- Youth Outreach (Agastya International Foundation, AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited, mLAC, and Mount Carmel College)
Spurred by the campaign’s tagline, #ChallengeAccepted, the group will reach 500,000 citizens and help them tangibly improve their health.
Sharing her thoughts, Dr Nalini Saligram, Founder and CEO, Arogya World, said, “NCDs are a challenge in our city. We congratulate the first of our Pledgemakers – the C20 group – for stepping up and Accepting the Challenge. Enhancing the health of our people will be a long-drawn process and we are committed to working towards transforming Bengaluru into India’s first Arogya City.”
Dr Devi Shetty, Chairman & Founder, Narayana Health, and one of the brand ambassadors of the campaign, said, “As a cardiac surgeon I ask myself every time if the patient needs an extensive medical procedure. Often, patients can avoid such situations by simply looking after their health through lifestyle changes- good diet, adequate physical activity and regular consultation with their doctor.”
Ashwini Nachappa, Arjuna Awardee, Former Olympian and Brand Ambassador, said, “Lifestyle diseases affect largely the younger population and that is a matter of great concern. The Arogya City effort heralds a collective movement to help the people of Bengaluru live healthy lives and prevent disease.”