Forthcoming diabetes initiative receives boost from increasing public interest in wellbeing

Oct. 10, 2010 - PRLog -- Forthcoming diabetes initiative receives boost from increasing public interest in wellbeing

Dubai, UAE, October 10, 2010: Figures released from three recent health campaigns have revealed an encouraging appetite for knowledge from UAE residents on how to improve their personal health. The No Tobacco Campaign, Summer Wellness and World Heart Day commemorations proved to be extremely popular with residents; thousands of whom attended their respective activities for free health checks and advice. One of the leading organisers behind the programmes says that this increasing interest in wellbeing can only benefit the UAE and will add to the success of the forthcoming Know Diabetes campaign, which starts on November 1, 2010 and commemorates the November 14 World Diabetes Day.


"The response that we have had from the public to our recent health initiatives has been overwhelming and this can only be a good thing for the UAE," said Dr. Prem Jagyasi, CEO and MD of ExHealth. "There is clearly a desire for knowledge in the country about how to stay healthy and we are anticipating a similar reaction for the Know Diabetes campaign, as diabetes is a condition that affects such a large number of people here," he added.

The No Tobacco Campaign commenced on May 31 with an aim to help the UAE's smokers stub out their deadly habit for good. As well as maintaining a presence at popular malls across the country, the health initiative visited around 40 corporate institutions encouraging nicotine addicts to pack in cigarettes and other tobacco products. Approximately 6,000 smokers pledged to quit their harmful habit, with those making the commitment entitled to receive discounted treatment at Novartis smoking cessation centres throughout the UAE.


"Giving up smoking is without doubt the single most effective thing a person can do to improve their health," said Dr. Jagyasi. "With the increased crack down on smoking in public places and other government interventions to prevent tobacco consumption, there is a genuine recognition that avoiding all types of smoking - active and passive - is something that is vital to maintain good health. Our No Tobacco Campaign enabled us to help people help themselves by stopping their reliance on such a deadly product," he added.

Summer Wellness 2010, which commenced on June 17 in conjunction with Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) tackled the vital subject of how to remain healthy during the region's prolonged hot and humid season. At a time of year when outdoor activities inevitably tail off because of the excessive outdoor heat, the six-week long campaign addressed the fitness and health issues that are inevitably thrown up by the excessive temperatures that are an uncomfortable feature of this particular time of year. The event attracted around 20,500 visitors to its stands throughout the duration of DSF.
Advertisement

"Summer is a notoriously difficult time for people in this part of the world to remain fit and healthy, as people are naturally more inclined to remain at home during these months," said Dr. Jagyasi. "The series of activities we put on for Summer Wellness included healthy cookery demonstrations, yoga, keep-fit work-outs, health check-ups, counselling, and entertainment for children. These were all geared around the theme of how to remain in great shape throughout this hot and sticky period of the year. This was the second Summer Wellness event and the numbers of people visiting the stands was up by six per cent over last year's event," he added.

The United Nations' World Heart Day is commemorated every last Sunday in September and this year, the UAE marked the occasion by hosting events that took place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Each of these was supported by their respective health authorities, with the pharmaceuticals multi-national AstraZeneca also backing the initiative. Part of the programme involved sending out baskets of apples to corporate institutions across the emirates to enhance the 'Workplace Wellness' theme of World Heart Day 2010. Thousands of UAE workers responded to the invitation with the fruit to avail themselves of the three-day schedule of free health checks and entertainment activities that were on offer at Deira City Centre and Abu Dhabi Mall.      

Dr. Jagyasi believes that the portfolio of events that ExHealth runs throughout the year can only help but improve the wellbeing of residents to the UAE, something that will translate into a fitter workforce better able to meet the challenges of the global economy. He says that the programme is part of an important corporate social responsibility agenda from his organisation, which supplies media and marketing solutions for the healthcare sector.    

"The No Tobacco Campaign and Summer Wellness are local annual community health programmes conceptualised and managed by ExHealth, whereas World Heart Day is an already internationally recognised awareness date which our organisation enhances with local initiatives," he said. "We utilise both types of event to improve the health of residents in the UAE and see them as vital commitments to help the country stay fighting fit. The healthier the workforce the healthier and wealthier the economy will ultimately be," he added.

Know Diabetes is the next campaign on ExHealth's calendar and it commences on November 1, 2010 across the UAE. Major activities will take place at Dubai Festival City, while corporate visits, educational programs and Continuous Medical Education programmes for healthcare professionals are also on the agenda. The schedule of activities will take in the commemorations for World Diabetes Day, which is marked on November 14. ExHealth is currently inviting corporations to support this initiative. Information about last year's successful Know Diabetes event can be found on-line at www.diabetesevent.exhealth.com.      

-Ends-

About ExHealth:
Motivated by a creative vision and committed to an innovative mission, ExHealth offers a comprehensive array of tailor-made, media-related healthcare services, encompassing Marketing, Public Relations, Conference and Event Management, Design & Publication, Healthcare Tourism Consulting and Medical Management Consulting, all of which are located under one roof at Dubai Healthcare City.

ExHealth's key concern is to perform and execute incomparable solutions for healthcare organisations across all sectors of the industry. Aiming to achieve and surpass its customers' stated goals, ExHealth is focused on ensuring that its clients' business has the edge in today's competitive market place

www.EXHelath.com | info@ExHealth.com

# # #

ExHealth offers an extensive portfolio of services that includes Healthcare Marketing, Management, Public Relations, Events and Publication. Staffed by a seasoned team of healthcare marketing, media and management professionals.