WHO launches wellness campaign

infections while enhancing the wellness of human beings, the World Health Organisation has said.
Traditionally, people do not seek health services unless they fall ill but Zimbabwe’s WHO representative Dr Custodia Mandlhate criticised the culture saying sometimes people harbour certain ailments that do not manifest themselves until they are already at an advanced stage.
For that reason the WHO has, this year, decided to commemorate its 63rd birthday by offering free medical services to its employees, partners and their family members.
Officially opening the wellness days in Harare last week, Dr Mndlhate said services such as diabetic screening, eye specialist services, dental services, HIV counselling and testing, among others were on offer.
“A workforce well informed on health matters, including the proper use of medicines, is more productive to any organisation, than one that is not.
“So as we gather here today, our main goal is to confirm our commitment as an organisation, in ensuring that our own staff is offered the opportunity to be screened for various medical conditions,” Dr Mandlhate said.
Dr Mandlhate said last year, wellness days were opened only for WHO staff, but this year the service was extended to partners in the health sector.
Since it is now an annual event, with more funding the wellness days are expected to extend to members of the public.
Turning to the World Health Day commemorations, Dr Mandlhate called for concerted action to halt problems of drug resistance.
This year’s commemorations were being held under the theme: combat drug resistance, no action today, and no cure tomorrow.
“We are facing a drug resistance when a disease caused by a certain micro-organism (virus, bacteria and some parasites) was treated using certain medicine, and now this micro-organism is no longer sensitive and the treatment become ineffective,” Dr Mandlhate said.
She said improper prescribing patterns, use of poor quality medicines and poor drug compliance among others were contributing to drug resistance.
If not properly managed resistant germs may spread and cause severe diseases.
Currently, the country is faced with threats from resistant tuberculosis, malaria resistant to chloroquine and some antibiotics failing to treat sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhoea.