US group touts benefits of having healthy workplaces

Chinese employers are being encouraged to create healthy workplaces for their staff under a health-promotion initiative being developed by a US-based nonprofit organization.

CEO Roundtable on Cancer, which aims to reduce risks of cancer and other diseases in the workplace, is developing a workplace health standard for China, and encouraging more Chinese organizations and enterprises to learn about the voluntary initiative and to embrace the culture of workplace wellness.

Earlier this week, Shanghai Children's Medical Center was formally selected as the pilot base for the standard, known as the CEO Cancer Gold Standard-China. The center is the first medical institution in the country to introduce such an international standard for a healthy workplace.

"This workplace wellness program provides comprehensive guidelines toward better employee health along with a happier work environment. It provides a new way to ensure implementation of high health standards in our busy country. We also encourage others to join this vital program for workplace wellness," said Jiang Zhongyi, president of Shanghai Children's Medical Center.

Under the standard, corporations are invited to evaluate their corporate health benefits and to take action in health and wellness areas, such as, tobacco cessation, encouraging physical activity, promotion of a healthy diet, detecting cancer at its earliest stages with appropriate screening and providing access to quality cancer care for those diagnosed with the disease.

According to large scale survey released in 2012 that covered China's 589 large and small cities, nearly 80 percent of white collar workers across the country are in poor health. They have suffered various stresses from work and life, and showed different problems, such as mental trouble, physical diseases, irregular diet and poor sleep.

Figures from China's health authorities showed that there are over 3 million new cancer cases diagnosed in the country each year with more than 2 million deaths linked to cancer.

Approximately 60 percent of the Chinese cancer deaths can be avoided by choosing a healthier life-style, according to joint research by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Cancer Hospital and the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer

The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was created in 2001 at the request of the former US President George H.W. Bush, who asked a group of corporate leaders to "do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate family".

Since then, a number of corporations, along with many non-profit institutions have participated in the program.

Since the program began in China in 2013, a task force has been formed with voluntary participation from corporate senior executives, representatives from government and other international bodies such as WHO.

"Leaders of any organization, especially chief executive officers, are uniquely positioned to make a difference in the health and wellbeing of their employees and their families," said Helen Yan, co-chair of CEO Cancer Gold Standard-China task force and head of communications at Sanofi China & Asia.

wanghongyi@chinadaily.com.cn