kaelo

As awareness of the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles and the management of chronic diseases grows among South Africans, more and more corporate companies are responding to the needs and demands of their employees by incorporating these services into the workplace.

Kaelo is pleased to have recently signed the following new clients and/or upscaled service to existing clients. We congratulate these companies on their initiative to support the health of their workforce. Their efforts have helped us reach an additional 14,000 employed South Africans with much needed access to health and wellness services.

• East Rand Plastics – Full Wellness Programme, September 2008
• Advanced Channel Technologies – Full Wellness Programme, October 2008
• Hollard – On-site Clinic now managed by Kaelo, Patient Management and a variety of other Wellness services.
• Health & Wellness programmes at Hollard were successfully launched at the Hollard Festival of Health, November 2008
• National Empowerment Fund – Full Wellness Programme and EAP, January 2009
• Astral Group – Full Wellness Programme, February 2009

The use of community health workers to conduct voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for HIV has rapidly become a worldwide solution to healthcare worker shortages, particularly within resource-limited settings. Training community health workers (also called lay counsellors) makes more efficient use of human resources and quickly increases public health capacity by delegating health care tasks that are usually performed by highly trained health professionals to those with less – but adequate - training.

Kaelo now has a Health24 B2B website available to all retainer clients. Health24 is a comprehensive health and wellness website, containing a database of information and articles on over 500 diseases, 250 medications, 85 symptoms, various medical tests and procedures, the latest in health news and over 30 tools and quizzes. This website has relevant health information for every man, woman and child, including oral hygiene, quitting smoking, pregnancy, first aid, and information on chronic conditions of lifestyle. Kaelo’s Health24 B2B site offers unique functions for registered members that are not available on the generic Health24 site, including fitness, diet and pregnancy programmes, newsletters on quitting smoking, diet and depression, and a comprehensive, searchable list of diseases, symptoms, medications and medical procedures.

World AIDS Day 2008 marked an occasion to commemorate the millions of people who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, to remember the lives lost to this disease, and to celebrate the power we all have to live positively or stay negative. Kaelo’s focus during the week of 1 December was to increase awareness of the importance of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) among our clients and their employees. However, as we begin a new year, we encourage everyone to remember that World AIDS Day should not just be reserved for 1 December, but should be regarded every single day; millions of lives are still affected by this disease daily – particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa - and a comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS requires our attention and a scale up in both treatment and prevention in 2009 as much as ever.

Kaelo-sponsored Olympian, Shaun Rubenstein, recently added to his athletic accolades when he won the Vaal Marathon in November. The Vaal marathon is Gauteng’s premium river race, consisting of two 40 kilometer races over two days. Shaun has been sharing his world experiences and ambitious goals through an incredible motivational talk. His presentation details his ideology of goal setting and the consistent dedication and planning required to carry them out. If you are interested in having Shaun visit your company to deliver a motivational talk to your employees, please contact Kaelo at carmen@kaelo.co.za. Shaun’s talk, “What Is Your London Olympics?” speaks to his own journey in sport, his preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, his goal of winning a medal, and how others can be empowered by setting their own short- and long-term goals.

What percentage of skin damage is caused in childhood and adolescence?
(a)20%
(b)50%
(c)80%
(d)95%

Answer: 80% of skin damage occurs before the age of 18 and manifests later in life. Overexposure to sun is avoidable and it is estimated that at least 75% of skin cancer can be prevented by adequate skin protection in childhood alone. Skin cancers are visible and can be detected early and treated before they become life-threatening. (Source: CANSA)

(Taken and summarised from www.medscape.com)

December 8, 2008 — Abdominal fat has been associated with heart disease and diabetes, and now researchers have discovered that it is also linked to depression.

Did you know that skin cancer is the most common cancer among South Africans and South Africa has one of the highest rates in the world, second only to Australia? The major cause is over-exposure to sun, which makes it a highly preventable disease. To protect yourself and your loved ones, remember the following:

• Limit your time in the sun, especially between 10:00 and 15:00 when the sun’s rays are most dangerous
• Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher
• Use sunglasses with UV400 protection
• Use lip balm with SPF 20
• Cover up with wide brim hats and loose clothing that is cool for summer
• Cover up when driving long distances – you can still burn through car windows
• Apply sunscreen (or foundation with SPF) to your face and neck everyday
• Avoid tanning beds
• Visit your doctor or dermatologist to have moles and irregularities checked annually

Be sure to share these tips with your employees and friends!

The 4th Southern African AIDS Conference takes place from 31 March to 3 April, 2009 and is being hosted at the International Convention Centre in Durban. The theme for this year’s conference, “Scaling up for Success”, stresses the imminent need to identify best practices in prevention and treatment and to scale up in these areas to reverse the impact of this epidemic on Southern African countries.

For more information or to register, please visit www.saaids.com

The Lonely Road Foundation’s first Christmas Toy Drive was a success, with new and used toys delivered to 2000 orphans and vulnerable children at 11 Drop-In Centres in the Ga-Dikgale community in Limpopo. The Lonely Road Foundation and Ga-Dikgale would like to thank each of the participating companies for their contributions and support.

For more information, contact thelonelyroad@gmail.com or visit www.thelonelyroad.org.