Proper nutrition has been known for many years to be the major tool to significantly slow down risk factors for non communicable diseases (NCDs). However, due to urbanization and improved life quality in low and middle income countries, the traditional largely plant-based diets are being replaced by energy-dense diets incorporating more animal foods, fat, and less fruits and vegetables. This diet change together with a sedentary lifestyle and aging are typical variables in low and middle income countries that are experiencing nutrition transition, and also the risk factors for development of NCDs. In Rwanda, NCDs lead to 36% of total deaths. Cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic respiratory diseases make 82% of NCD deaths. The major risk factor was the raised blood pressure (34.4%) and the probability of dying between ages 30 and 70 years from those four major NCDs is estimated to 19%. The Government of Rwanda has an operational NCDs unit in the Ministry of Health, but no yet other operational policies to reduce the NCDs incidence. There is a need of adopting dietary behavior change to prevent the epidemic of chronic diseases, as it has been realized that the prevention is better than treatment of these diseases to slow down their impact.
The overall objective of the project study is to educate people on proper nutrition and life style to prevent non communicable diseases in adults living in Urban Kigali for health promotion.