5 days ago
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As part of Wellness Week 2026, the Ministry of Health and Wellness is also recognising healthcare facilities that are putting the wellness message into practice. Through its Top Health Facility Award initiative, staff members were encouraged to take part in activities promoting healthier eating, physical activity, mental wellbeing and a healthier workplace environment. The initiative was designed to show that wellness must also begin within the health system and among the people who provide care to the public. Kathleen Azueta Cho says the idea is simple: health workers should practise the same healthy habits they encourage their patients and communities to adopt.
Kathleen Azueta Cho, Technical Advisor for the Health Education and Community: “Today, for example, we had our top health facilities awarded who participated in the workplace wellness pilot, which was an initiative that was carried out over a period of six months. And what we did was get our staff involved in wellness, nutrition activities, physical activities, the importance of mental health. And this is just one of the initiatives that the Ministry of Health and Wellness currently has taking place. We have Belize Moves, we have the healthy habits, and it’s really a demonstration and a commitment to the efforts that we are placing to address the burden of non-communicable diseases in our country.”
The participating facilities were assessed on how well they involved their staff and incorporated wellness into the workplace. The initiative also encouraged teamwork and helped employees pay closer attention to their own physical and mental health. The Ministry says healthier healthcare workers are better placed to lead by example and support the wider effort to reduce noncommunicable diseases across Belize.
English (US) ·