Significant numbers of professionals in the UAE have chronic health conditions, including obesity, hypertension and diabetes, according to findings from a month-long screening programme undertaken in Abu Dhabi.
Significant numbers of professionals in the UAE have chronic health conditions, including obesity, hypertension and diabetes, according to findings from a month-long screening programme undertaken in Abu Dhabi. The campaign, sponsored by Green Crescent Insurance Company and the Al Noor Group of Hospitals visited 15 corporate offices in the UAE’s capital to offer employees free health check-ups, including blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and body mass index measurements.
The local initiative had been specially set up to tie in with this year’s World Health Organisation (WHO)’s World Health Day, the theme of which focused on the effects of urbanisation on health. With the slogan for World Health Day 2010 being ‘1000 cities — 1000 lives,’ it was perhaps appropriate that it was 1,000 various professionals who received check-ups at their workplaces during the programme, which lasted from April 7 until May 7. The results revealed that nearly half of those assessed had some form of chronic condition that could pose a serious threat to their health.
Carl J. Sardegna, CEO of Green Crescent Insurance Company, outlined his organisation’s commitment to supporting such important health awareness programmes. “Being a company that believes in preventive healthcare, we are positive that this campaign has proved to be the catalyst for 1,000 professionals to adopt a healthier lifestyle and made them more aware of their health status,” he said, speaking during the event.
The Green Crescent and Al Noor Hospitals screening initiative was just one of a series of awareness activities that took place at metropolitan centres across the globe to mark World Health Day 2010. Each one was designed to draw attention to the risks to health that arise from industrial and traffic pollution, job stress and a sedentary lifestyle; all of which are strongly associated with city dwelling. The WHO campaign followed closely on from a United Nations’ report published a few weeks ago that concluded that the world’s largest cities are fast becoming ‘mega regions’ that in the future will be defined by overcrowding, poverty and pollution. The organisation stated that the continuing growth of urban areas is likely to be one of the most significant factors affecting society over the next 50 years.
To help educate the 1,000 employees targeted in the local campaign about how such environmental health issues impacted on their personal health, advice and counselling was made available to augment the medical check-ups they received. The overall goal was to help them learn how they can best safeguard their wellbeing in the city.
“It is our duty to reach out to the community and help them understand health issues and practice a healthier lifestyle which can be accomplished through active participation in campaigns such an this,” said Dr. Ahmed Majed, Corporate Medical Affairs Manager, Al Noor Group of Hospitals.