The MEC for Health Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo will be visiting Toyota South Africa plant in Durban to speak to two thousand management and staff about the importance of implementing workplace healthy and active lifestyle programme.
Journalists are invited to the address by MEC Dhlomo to take place at Toyota SA Ethembeni Hall (Prospecton) on Thursday 6 October 2011 at 12h00.
According to the South African National Burden of Disease study conducted in 2000, the death rates among the workforce (25 to 55 year olds) were particularly higher than among the rest of the population. And the two main causes of death among this group were HIV and AIDS and non-communicable disease, i.e. mostly diseases that could have been prevented by lifestyle modification.
MEC Dhlomo is championing the adoption of healthy and active lifestyles in communities and the workplace. He has addressed a number of events and meeting where he urged the corporate world to implement healthy and active lifestyle programmes.
The MEC believes: “While we know that HIV and AIDS is a serious threat to productivity and indirectly to the country's economy. Therefore, justifiably, most health efforts are aimed towards fighting HIV and AIDS. However, HIV and Aids mostly affect the younger component of the workforce (25 to 40 year olds), while non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, etc. are risk factors across the workforce including the more experienced senior members”.
The MEC will share the risks of inactivity and unhealthy with management and workers during his address and call for immediate action. He will warn against ‘presenteeism’.
He says: “there is also a hidden enemy called ‘presenteeism’ - when an employee is present, but unproductive because of ill health. This condition also has a great effect on an employee's work output. Direct costs can be measured for medical and pharmacy claims, absenteeism, workmen’s compensation and long and short term disability. However the indirect cost of presenteeism is more difficult to measure and can be termed the “hidden enemy” as companies do not know the extent of this.”
Confirmation of attendance is important.
To RSVP please contact:
Chris Maxon
Cell: 083 447 2869
Phindani Nene
Cell: 083 262 0989
