CDA Consult urges employers to adopt holistic healthcare systems

The Executive Director of Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult), Mr Francis Ameyibor, has called on employers and employees to make holistic healthcare a key component of workplace policies and corporate strategies.

He said organisations must move beyond traditional employee benefits and adopt healthcare systems that address workers’ physical, mental, social, cultural and financial well-being.

Mr Ameyibor made the call in Accra on Monday during the rejuvenated CDA Consult weekly health information dissemination platform, dubbed “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility!”

The platform is aimed at promoting health-related communication and providing information to influence personal health choices through improved health literacy.

Mr Ameyibor said the health and well-being of employees were directly linked to organisational growth and urged corporate leaders to develop comprehensive wellness policies that prioritise the overall welfare of workers.

He also encouraged companies to establish health desks staffed by trained professionals who could guide workers on healthy habits, identify health risk factors and assist them in managing stress.

According to him, workplaces should not become toxic environments, stressing the need for employers to introduce regular health assessments to monitor employees’ well-being, reduce work-related risks and promote healthier working conditions.

He noted that the conditions under which people work could have long-term consequences for their health, particularly after retirement.

“Poor working environment, use of obsolete equipment, bad chairs which lead to poor sitting, and pressure of work are nursing grounds for ill health in retirement.”

Mr Ameyibor said many workers remained unaware of the health risks associated with their occupations and urged them to take workplace safety and personal well-being seriously.

“Whatever type of work you are engaged in today, there are associated health risks tomorrow.”

He said research had shown that an individual’s working life could have a lasting impact on their health in retirement, with factors such as stress, long working hours and poor work-life balance contributing to various health challenges.

He therefore urged employers and employees to work together to minimise workplace-related health risks.

He cautioned workers to protect their health while they were still actively employed, particularly because health challenges could become more difficult to manage at a time when sources of income had reduced.

“Whatever you do today may affect your health when you advance in years, at that crucial moment when your sources of income too have diminished drastically; protect your health today for a healthy life tomorrow.”

Mr Ameyibor, a holistic health advocate, said organisations that adopted comprehensive wellness programmes could benefit through improved employee performance, staff retention and cost savings.

He stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between work and healthy living, describing corporate holistic healthcare as an emerging approach to corporate health governance.

“A corporate holistic healthcare system is an approach that considers the employee's whole person – physical, mental, emotional, social, and sometimes spiritual – in the pursuit of optimal health and wellness, which has a direct link to the employee’s performance,” he noted.

He explained that a corporate holistic healthcare system should be built around six key areas: mental and emotional health support, physical fitness initiatives, social connection and inclusion activities, financial wellness guidance, workplace culture and flexibility improvements, and a healthy work environment.

CDA Consult is a member of the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health (GCNH), an umbrella organisation that brings together more than 500 registered NGOs and civil society organisations in the health sector.

The coalition promotes collaboration among NGOs and community-based organisations involved in health initiatives and advocates quality healthcare services for all in Ghana.

It also seeks to influence health policy formulation and decision-making while strengthening the capacity of member organisations to maintain high standards in service delivery and promote health research.