Mauritius: A Health Promotion Programme targeting the personnel of the Airport Holdings Limited (AHL) Group was launched this morning by the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal and the Chief Executive Officer of the AHL Group, Ken Arian, at the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in Plaine Magnien.
The Health Promotion Programme, spanning over eight days, will offer a series of health check-ups and screenings of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs). The Health Campaign is aimed at some 5,000 employees of the AML, Air Mauritius, MDFP, ATOL and other service providers.
The programme, developed by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, is rolling out a series of interventions against diseases and their causative factors, focusing primarily on prevention and on the risk factors in the community and at worksites.
This initiative is being held to mark World Health Day 2023, observed each year on 07 April. The Ministry of Health and Wellness marked this year’s event being held under the theme, ‘Health for All’, through the launching of a Health Promotion Campaign on Saturday, 08 April 2023, at the Municipal Council of Vacoas-Phoenix by Dr Jagutpal.
In his address, the Health Minister remarked that the COVID-19 period, that is, 2020 and 2021, has been very challenging years for the aviation industry worldwide and commended the dedication of all the staff of the AHL Group during these difficult times.
He lauded their contribution to support the country for the timely relay of COVID-19 vaccines and the deployment of technology to reduce contact between passengers and airport staff to mitigate the propagation of the coronavirus.
Speaking about the Health Promotion programme, Minister Jagutpal encouraged all employees to avail of the facilities being offered to them to get screened and to do all the health check-ups. He emphasised that prevention is key and an early diagnosis will incite positive behavioural changes.
Dr Kailesh Jagutpal further underlined that the onus to take care of one’s health will be beneficial not only for oneself but also for one’s family and for the country. Besides, this will decrease the disease burden of the country and avoid overstraining public health institutions, he added.
As for the CEO of the AHL Group, Mr Ken Arian, he highlighted that the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport was able to resume most of its activities due to the relentless efforts of the Ministry of Health and Wellness to fight the pandemic.
Moreover, he reiterated his aim of catering for the well-being of all AHL Group employees by providing them with a conducive work environment as well as good mental and physical health. He added that he welcomed the Health Promotion Programme, which he stressed will ensure that employees are able to take the necessary preventive measures and address any health issues at an early stage.
He also spoke of the national health campaign being spearheaded by the Prime Minister, Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, to raise awareness on the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle, which he affirmed has translated into a positive change as evidenced in statistics that show a decrease in the prevalence of diabetes, which now stands at 19.9%.