Charmaine Gauci

The Directorate is responsible for preventing illness and promoting health in order to improve the health and well-being of the Maltese population and for providing leadership for health promotion to reduce/delay the onset of illness.  We encourage the promotion of healthy lifestyles amongst the population and work in partnership with other Ministries, external stakeholders and health care workers to tackle the determinants of illness, particularly to reduce the disease burden caused by non-communicable and communicable diseases.

 

Throughout the year we focus on various aspects which all build up to encourage a healthier lifestyle. Summer is with us and so does the rise in the UV index. The rise in the incidence of skin cancers over the past decades is strongly related to increasingly popular outdoor activities and recreational exposure. Overexposure to sunlight is widely accepted as the underlying cause for harmful effects on the skin, eye and immune system.  So since May and throughout summer we will be encouraging people to stay out of the sun and take protection.

Advice includes:

Do not burn

Sunburns significantly increase one’s lifetime risk of developing skin cancer, especially for children

Avoid Sun Tanning and Tanning Beds

UV light from tanning beds and the sun causes skin cancer and wrinkling

Generously Apply Sunscreen

Generously apply sunscreen. Choose one with a high SPF and which provides protection from both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Reapply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after swimming or sweating

Wear Protective Clothing

 Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses, when possible

 

Seek Shade

Seek shade when possible and remember that the sun’s UV rays are strongest between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m

 

Another problem is obesity. Malta is reported to have one of the highest overweight problems in Europe.  The Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study in 2006 found a high proportion of Maltese children to be overweight. In fact around 15% of 13-year olds are above the 95th weight centile.  The European Health Interview survey of 2008 reports 36.3 % of adults being overweight and a further 22.3% being obese.  Hence obesity is one of the priorities we are working on and hence we will continue with our campaign on obesity focusing on four main messages :

  1. Getting involved in healthy food preparation
  2. Healthy choices in food
  3. Limit food portions
  4. Include more physical activity

 

We are also offering free weight management classes in health centers and aerobics in local councils for people who have BMI over 25 to encourage them to loose weight and stay healthy.  A strategy is being drafted to tackle the obesity issue including the enabling of the environment which will encourage the update of healthy activities.

 

Copies of material related to these campaigns can be obtained from the synapse E-library or by calling the directorate on 23266000.