09 Feb 2023

The business community has been advised to review policies and plans to integrate wellness programmes in their operations.

Speaking during a consultative forum in Maun on Wednesday, executive director of Botswana Business Coalition on AIDS (BBCA), Mr Frank Phatshwane stressed the need for businesses to play a key role on issues related to national health strategic framework.

To achieve this, he said, the private sector should implement health and wellness programmes in their workplace to promote healthy personnel and improved quality of life.

Such programmes, he said, were not just good for employees but for the business as well. 

Mr Phatshwane said BBCA was concerned with the issues of sick leaves as they were directly affecting productivity, hence the need to close the gap and ensure employees’ well-being was prioritised.

“Revisit your plans, policies and strategies and align them to the reset agenda which talks about changing the way we have been planning, thinking and doing things,” he added.

Furthermore, he said BBCA was mandated to support mobilisation of the business community response in combating diseases such as HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among others.

Mr Phatshwane also encouraged district structures to work collaboratively with private sector including tourism industry to appreciate their health response in combating diseases.

Ngamiland Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (NCONGO) board chairman, Mr Gosalamang Xaa also called on the private sector to take health issues in their workplace seriously.

The most important resource in an organisation, he said, was human resource, therefore he encouraged companies to give health issues a priority. 

In addition, he said wellness activities boosted employees’ morale and enhanced job satisfaction noting that they also reduced absenteeism and sick leaves.

“Healthy workforce enhances productivity as employees become more dedicated and committed, promote teamwork and eventually companies achieve significant results,” said Mr Xaa. ends