Wellness Week 2023, under the inspiring slogan “Your Health, My Health”, was inaugurated with great enthusiasm today in an event that marks the commitment to the wellbeing of the Dominican population and the entire region.
This initiative, promoted by the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and the Dominican Republic and which this year joins the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) with the slogan “The care we need, the care we want”, has the fundamental objective of promoting healthy lifestyles and highlighting the importance of public health in the region.
Dr. Eladio Pérez, Vice Minister of Collective Health, highlighted in his opening remarks the importance of regional cooperation in the fight against the health challenges that must be faced.
He noted that Wellness Week is a testament to how collaboration and commitment can make a difference. “This year, both COMISCA and PAHO’s slogan seek health for all.”
“These actions together with other instances generate an impulse that activates decision-makers and collaborators of the health system to participate in a space conducive to raising awareness and promoting changes towards lifestyles that are conducive to health and wellness,” added Dr. Perez.
Dr. Miguel A. Bruján Gómez, director of the Directorate of Support for Health Promotion and Education (DAPES), emphasized the importance of strengthening actions linked to the promotion of positive health practices in the communities and especially in the health system’s collaborators, for which he highlighted that promotion and communication are fundamental in this effort.
“Wellness Week 2023 is an example of how joint actions can make a difference. Together we work to promote positive health practices in our communities,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, Master Alba María Ropero Álvarez, representative in the Dominican Republic of the Pan American Health Organization, emphasized the concept of care, which appeals to the integral care of people, both in their physical and mental health, and to a healthy life in all environments, including the workplace.
“One of PAHO’s commitments is to improve the health and well-being of all people in the region. That is why it is fundamental to address care as a human right and as a social responsibility, as well as to promote a positive vision of health and to recognize the importance of health promotion for the well-being of individuals and communities,” said Ropero Álvarez.
“It is important to recognize that we all need care throughout our lives, although children, the elderly and people with illnesses or dependencies often require greater care. However, at the moment the social organization of care is still inequitable due to economic factors, but also to gender inequalities, as women continue to assume most of the care responsibilities,” she added.
Actions
Wellness Week 2023 will include a variety of activities aimed at Ministry of Health collaborators, with the purpose of raising awareness about the importance of taking care of health by maintaining healthy habits and that they become multipliers in their environment, which contributes to improving their quality of life.
Activities will include informative talks, educational workshops, recreational activities and physical exercise sessions. In addition, there is the collaboration of leading institutions, such as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the National Technical Professional Institute (INFOTEP), the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), the Institute of Price Stabilization (INESPRE) and other collaborating entities.
Source: presidencia.gov.do