Over 40 members of the Burnscreek Hi-way Intergenerational Wellness in East Honiara turned up for a health screening organised by a group of passionate 10,000 Toes Community Ambassadors—many of whom are the youths!
Using the SolPEN protocol, the ambassadors screened for major non- communicable disease (NCD) risk factors, and here’s what we found:
- 1 in 3 had elevated risk of high blood pressure;
- 1 in 4 showed risk of type 2 diabetes; and
- 1 in 10 had a 10% or higher risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years
In response to these results, the church is stepping up actions by launching a nutrition-focused lifestyle intervention program in the coming weeks.
This program is designed to help reduce modifiable risk factors among those identified as at-risk—reinforcing our commitment to holistic wellbeing: spiritual, physical, mental, and social.
Church elder Johnny Tasa passionately shared: “This initiative is more than just screening—it’s a movement of faith in action.
“Our young ambassadors are rising as health champions, and our church is taking ownership of the health crisis affecting our families.
“This is what ministry looks like—meeting people where they are and walking with them toward healing and wholeness.”
This initiative is a powerful reminder of the impact faith-based, community-led action can have in the fight against the growing NCD crisis in Solomon Islands.
The Ambassadors are now planning to expand this screening initiative to other churches across the Burnscreek community—ensuring more families are supported and empowered to take charge of their health.
With over 60 active 10,000 Toes ambassadors in the community, Burnscreek is becoming a model of how churches can serve as hubs for preventive health, by mobilising youth, building community ownership and offering hope amid the burden of lifestyle diseases.
The Ambassadors also thanked MHMS NCD Programme – for providing screening kits, forms, and nutrition resources.
The 10,000 Toes Campaign Solomon Islands was also acknowledged for training the ambassadors and supporting grassroots NCD prevention.
“Let’s continue to care for our bodies as temples of God. This is just the beginning,” the Ambassadors said.
