The UN community in Ethiopia celebrated a colorful Wellness Week from January 23-25, 2024, under the theme, “United for Wellness. This was an interagency collaboration spearheaded by the UN Health Care Center.
According to the organizing team, the week was aimed at reminding staff of the need to make a habit of integrating physical activity and the power of movement into daily routines. Regular physical activity such as walking, cycling, wheeling, doing sports or active recreation provides us with significant health benefits. By becoming more active throughout the day in relatively simple ways, one can easily achieve the recommended activity levels and thereby prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, and chronic respiratory diseases.
Furthermore, Wellness Week is a reminder about making healthy choices such as adhering to a balanced and healthy diet or using the stairs instead of the elevator. “Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits which are important sources of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, plant protein, and antioxidants lower the risk of obesity, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and even certain types of cancer. In addition, climbing stairs, also called tower running, improves cardiorespiratory fitness, lower body strength, and coordination. Climbing 5 flights of stairs a day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 20%,” the team said.
The Wellness Week also serves as an opportunity for regular medical checkups and recommended disease screens. “Regular medical checkups serve us as powerful tools in early detection and intervention. By identifying potential health concerns before they escalate and become more troublesome, we can significantly reduce the impact of non-communicable diseases. Early detection and effective management can lead to improved outcomes and better quality of life,” said the organizers.
The purpose of recommended age-based cancer screening is to find a disease in its early stage, before it causes symptoms, which increase the chance of successful treatment.
The activities embarked on during the week were crucial to building a sense of belonging and self-worth, giving staff an opportunity to share positive experiences, provide emotional support and mutual support. The organizing team expressed the hope that these activities “would go a long way towards promoting a culture of wellness that will extend far beyond the week to others around us.”