Samoa's Minister of Health, Tuitama Dr Leao Talalelei Tuitama says Samoa now has many initiatives underway to make residents healthy.
Tuitama spoke about some of them during the opening of the Bilateral Summit on NCDs between Samoa and American Samoa in Pago Pago.
He says the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development champions the healthy family and village outreach programmes to promote sanitation, vegetable gardening, and physical activity.
They also want village councils to develop policies to cut alcohol use and smoking.
Tuitama says most recently Cabinet established the National Healthy Islands Committee which the Prime Minister will chair.
"This co-ordination role and regulatory role has made the implementation of healthy islands a consolidated effort and cohesive occasion for the whole country. We believe that this is the whole of government approach needed to address NCDs."
Samoa's Minister of Health, Tuitama Dr Leao Talalelei Tuitama.
