High powered US team in Samoa for NCDs

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The United States sent two high level health officials to Samoa to discuss ways to tackle non communicable diseases.

Dr Thomas Novotny, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human Services and Ms, Ebony Andrews, Director of Sports Initiatives and Digital Communications for President Barack Obama’s Council on Fitness Sports and Nutrition, visited Samoa following the 1st Pacific Summit on NCDs in Tonga.

Dr. Novotny, who led the US delegation to the Summit, worked in Samoa as a Peace Corps volunteer in the late 1960’s.

At the Tonga Summit, he announced that the US Government will sponsor a Pacific wide exchange program focused on obesity nutrition and NCD’s later this year.

Pacific participants will spend ten days in the US learning effective ways of encouraging NCD prevention among youth.

While in Samoa, Dr. Novotny and Ms Andrews met with Samoa Government and United Nations officials, visited a primary school and held workshops with local organizations and conducted a session with the Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC).

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