Million Mile Challenge

What is the Million Mile Challenge for Health?

The Million-Mile Challenge for Health is an initiative intended to get Guyana to document one million miles through walking, running, jogging, swimming and cycling by the end of 2008.

In short the Ministry of Health will encourage Guyanese to “Move for Health” through a public walking (jogging, running, cycling and swimming) exercise.
Participants (individuals and groups) will document mileage walked, jogged, ran cycled or swum.

Why the Million Mile Challenge for Health?

This initiative supports the National Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. It aims at addressing the increased disease burden cause by poor lifestyle choices such as unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity.

In particular it seeks to change the fact that more than 60% of Guyanese live sedentary lifestyles. The campaign will focus on promoting physical activity everyday, everywhere for its numerous direct health effects which are prevention of disease and promotion of physical, mental and social health.

Methods of Participation

There are two methods of participation

• Individual
• Organisation/group:
  • School
  • Private Sector (Workplace)
  • Public Corporations
  • Civil Society
  • Religious groups, NGOs,
    

Individual

An individual can register to participate in this activity by documenting their activity and submitting the information to the Ministry of Health using the contact information provided.

Organisation/group

A group or an organization can participate by submitting documented evidence of the activity involving its members. Groups/ organisations can submit several activities involving the same or different persons.

Method of Documentation

Documentation can be done using one or more of the following methods:

• Completion of activity report signed by validator(s)
• Submission of amount of miles accumulated by telephone, fax, e-mail with any form of proof that the activity was conducted and contact information.
• Completion of activity report signed by validator(s) and photograph(s) or video tape(s) of activity.
• Any other method which can be validated by the Ministry of Health or Regional Health Offices.

Download Activity Report Template

It is advised that each activity should be registered at the Ministry of Health, Regional Health Office or Local Health Facility. This will aid in the organising of Validators and documentation. In cases where an initial registration cannot be
done, efforts will be made by the Ministry of Health to validate the activity.

Report Submission

A summary of the activity should be provided. The summary should include the type of activity, number of miles achieved, number of persons who participated and any other information necessary. Miles should be calculated by the amount
of persons who participated.

For more information, you can contact:

• Local Health Facility
• Regional Health Office
• Ministry of Health
  Lot 1 Brickdam
  Georgetown
  Guyana
  Tel: 226-8448, 226-5164, 226-5861
  Fax: 223-7355, 225-4505
  Email: millionmilechallenge@gmail.com