The Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (MEWT) on Friday held its Wellness Day in Gaborone with the theme “My Health, Key to Performance”.
The main objective of the Wellness Day was to raise awareness on the various contemporary wellness topics, including HIV/AIDS, diet-related conditions, stress management and other health and lifestyle issues. Botswana National Health Policy observes that good health is a shared responsibility of the state, the public sector and the private sector, but the individual is a key in executing that responsibility.
Officiating at the ceremony, Bokamoso Private Hospital, Chief Executive Officer, Kabelo Ebineng, highlighted that employee wellness is a key to optimal performance and national development.
“Wellness at the workplace exists to promote the health and well being of every employee. To attain this, wellness services are provided across government departments through wellness committees set up in them to drive this initiative,” said Ebineng. He also covered many areas, such as wellness as a risk-management strategy, wellness policy at a universal level, morbidity as a threat and also access to services.
“It is important to talk about variety of diseases but HIV, in our times, requires specific mention. We must not only address aspects of preventing HIV, but how to mitigate its impact in the event that it becomes a reality in one’s life,” added Ebineng. He also emphasized on improving poor lifestyles, as it is a part of the cause of non-communicable disease.
For her part, the Senior Manager, Corporate Services, (MEWT) Thekisego Colledge, in her remarks encouraged the audience to take different tests offered to know one’s health status.
“The aim is to get an insight into your current and future wellness trends to help manage your health and wellbeing. Knowledge and better understanding of different interventions for a healthy lifestyle are a requisite to healthy living,” said Colledge. She urged the participants to change their lifestyles for the better after receiving health information and advice.
Also in attendance were the Cancer Association Botswana, Med Rescue Botswana, BONELA, Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA), Bokamoso Private Hospital, Botswana-Harvard AIDS Partnership and the Department of Sports and Recreation.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), as an enabler, takes the highest standard of health as a fundamental right for all.
