Sensitization/Health Education Campaigns

In all the screening sessions, whether in schools, communities and workplace, health education/talks are delivered on the following topics: Healthy lifestyles, benefits of Physical Activity, risks factors associated with smoking, alcohol consumption and drug abuse.

Over 100,000 persons are sensitized through the NCD screening in worksite and community, School Health Programme even through CSU and NEF programmes. For the period of year 2022- 2023 some 113,275 talks has been delivered on Tobacco, Alcohol, Cancer and other topics in the community, worksite and secondary schools.

Health Promotion campaigns are being organized in the compound of commercial centers/ shopping malls/ district councils/ municipal councils across the island given that one of the recommendations of the Mauritius NCD Survey 2021 Report is to expand and strengthen the NCD and Health Promotion activities in the community.

The health promotion awareness campaign has already started as from 1st October 2022 across the island and will be conducted in 12 shopping outlets/malls and municipalities. Out of twelve, seven Health Promotion campaigns have already carried out.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with National Insurance Company Ltd (NIC), Diabetes Foundation Mauritius and Heart Foundation (Mauritius) have launched a series of 12 Health Promotion Campaigns throughout the island. The first Health Promotion campaign was launched at Jumbo Phoenix Shopping Mall.

Objectives

The objectives of the Health Promotion Campaigns are to:

  • Increase awareness on health-related issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, food safety, nutrition, family planning and many others.
  • Increase awareness on health services available to the public.
  • Detect early through screening non-communicable diseases (DM, cancer, obesity, cardiac disease) and HIV for an early treatment.

Activities carried out during Health Promotion Campaigns are as follows:

  • Counselling / Health Education - sensitization campaign through talks on:
    1. physical activity
    2. healthy eating / Salt Intake
    3. tobacco cessation
    4. alcohol and substance abuse
    5. mental health awareness
    6. Distribution of pamphlets on health issues
  • NCD Screening by NCD, Health Promotion and Research Unit
  • Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening by NCD, Health Promotion and Research Unit
  • Blood Donation
  • HIV/AIDS Unit
  • Nutrition Unit
  • Dental Services Unit
  • Cardiac Centre Services
  • Public Health and Food Safety Unit
  • Harm Reduction Unit
  • Family Planning, Maternal Child Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Mauritius Sports Council / Active Mauritius
  • Ayurvedic Services
  • NGOs
    1. Link to Life
    2. Mauritius Family Planning and Welfare Association
    3. Heart Foundation (Mauritius) and Diabetes Foundation Mauritius
  • Exhibition by National Insurance Company Ltd (NIC)
  • Live Animation
  • Public Entertainment – Quiz Competition

Health Promotion Clubs have been set up by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms, Public Officers’ Welfare Council and Mauritius Sports Council. The objective of the Health Promotion Clubs is to encourage public officers to practice regular physical activity and to adopt healthy eating habits. There are also frequent talks on health issues including mental health, stress management, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, alcohol and substance abuse to raise awareness and prompt public officers to be more health conscious. Additionally, medical check-up for early detection of diabetes, hypertension, Breast and Cervical Cancer are also carried out. 70 Health Promotion clubs have already been set up and others are in the pipeline.

Around 80, 000 officers’ benefit from these clubs.

Health Promotion Club for Ministries / Departments was launched on the occasion of World Diabetes Day 2022, 14 November 2022 at Sir Harilal Vaghjee Hall, New Government House, Port Louis in the presence of Dr the Honorable Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, Minister of Health and Wellness, Hon. Teeruthraj Hurdoyal, Minister of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms, Dr (Mrs) Anne Marie Ancia, WHO Representative in Mauritius and other eminent personalities.

Some of the Health Promotion Club activities include:

  • Medical Check-ups for NCDs (diabetes, high blood pressure, ECG) and risks factors, breast and cervical cancers
  • To carry out sensitization campaign through talks on NCDs and its risk factors
  • To carry out pre-set physical activity and stress management sessions by a trained instructor
  • To carry out plate model demonstration on healthy cooking, healthy eating, healthy snacks and lunch preparation
  • To organise healthy cooking/food preparation competition
  • To carry out healthy weight loss competition

Sensitisation campaign comprises of physical activity promotion, healthy lifestyle, tobacco cessation, mental health awareness, cancer awareness, sexual reproductive health, alcohol and substance abuse.

  • TV and Radio Program

The Director, Dr Sudhir Kowlessur, CSK actively participates with mass media for sensitisation of mass population against NCDs.

Moreover, the Radio and TV programmes namely “TouKorek” is mounted in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office with the aim to sensitize the population on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and to decrease the number of people suffering from NCDs.

  • Website & Facebook

The NCD, Health Promotion and Research Unit has a social media platform on Facebook, “Moris en Bonne Sante” to increase knowledge about diseases and their control, enhance disease management. All the programmes performed by this Unit is available there for more information.

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