Committed to make Bengaluru India's first Arogya City, says minister Dinesh Gundu Rao

Bengaluru: The Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Friday that his government is committed to make Bengaluru India’s first ‘Arogya City’.

He was attending a summit, Arogya City Bengaluru, a pioneering collective effort in collaboration with Arogya World, a global health non-profit organisation working to prevent Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD), Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) and Rotary to help address NCD in the city.

“Non-communicable diseases are growing rapidly across India, and tackling this epidemic one city at a time is a smart approach,” added Rao. The summit also celebrated a significant milestone on Friday with the successful completion of its initial two-year cycle. Twenty two dedicated pledge makers reached more than 1 million citizens across Bengaluru with their health interventions over the last two years, according to B.PAC. In addition, education materials were distributed to more than 1 million people.

The summit was organised at Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru, one of the pledge makers. Guest of honour Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, the custodian of the architectural and cultural heritage of the Yadu dynasty to which the Wadiyars of Mysore belong to, presented awards to the 22 pledge makers.

“While collective action from organisations is needed, it is equally important for each one of us to individually commit to leading a healthier life. If all of us take personal steps towards health as individuals, it will result in healthier families and a healthier Bengaluru,” said Wadiyar.

Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman of Manipal Hospitals, while delivering keynote address, observed that Arogya City’s approach to focus on disease prevention and healthy living, rather than treating illness, is vital for our society.

“I am impressed with the sense of responsibility and commitment shown by the many pledge makers. We need large numbers of organisations to join the movement and make more collective impact,” he added.

Dr Nalini Saligram, Founder and CEO of Arogya World, commended the pledge makers for surpassing their collective goal.

“Improving the health of our people is a long journey, and we are thrilled to see the groundswell of momentum with the many new pledge makers joining hands to make our beloved Bengaluru a healthier city,” she added.

During the summit, a process assurance report capturing the collective efforts made by the pledge makers was unveiled by Sattva Consulting. The report details the processes and achievements of the pledge makers towards promoting healthier lifestyles and disease prevention in the city.

More than 30 new pledge makers committed themselves on Friday to improve the health of citizens in measurable ways, over the next two years. A panel discussion with Naveen Bhat, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Praveen B of Wipro Foundation, Anupama Shetty of Biocon Foundation and Tushar Girinath, Commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was moderated by Revathy Ashok, CEO of B.PAC.