Posted by admin | Posted in Workplace Health Promotion | Posted on 21-11-2008
The 61st annual World Health Assembly is taking place this week in Geneva, Switzerland and at this assembly; the World Health Organization (WHO) is presenting its report titled “Preventing Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) in the Workplace through Diet and Physical Activity.”
The report calls for Workplace Health Promotion Programs to be promoted and implemented worldwide.
Importance of Workplace Health Promotion Programs
The report states that Non-Communicable Disease related deaths have surpassed transferable disease related deaths and have become the leading global killers. Examples of Non-Communicable Disease’s are heart disease, diabetes and stroke. In 2005, 60% of worldwide projected deaths were caused by non-communicable diseases. They are predicting that this health trend will continue through at least 2030.
Diet, caloric intake, lack of physical activity and tobacco use are the major risk factors in the cause of Non-Communicable Disease’s. Now more than ever, the understanding of the importance of health and wellness is crucial.
Workplace Health Promotion Programs are Effective Tools
The report states that Workplace Health Promotion Programs are found to be effective in improving health-related risk factors, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The report also states that Workplace Health Promotion Programs will enhance the health of employees, enhance the corporate image, enhance worker morale, reduce worker absences and sick leave, increase worker productivity, and reduce corporate medical care costs.
Workplace Health Promotion Programs Monitoring
Finally, the report mentions that to have a successful Workplace Health Promotion Program, monitoring and evaluation through Health risk assessments and health outcomes are essential and should be included in the Workplace Health Promotion Program implementation. The evaluations ensure that the Workplace Health Promotion Program developed meets the proper needs of the employees. Staff Members should be reevaluated on an on-going basis to make sure the Workplace Health Promotion Program is still working, or to see if there are any adjustments that need to be made.
