The YLAI Network wants to make 2018 a year of health and prosperity in Latin America and the Caribbean with its newest initiative, YLAI for Health & Wellness – It’s up to me! During January, YLAI Network members can take a pledge to promote health and wellness in their communities.
Healthy workers make for a healthier economy — it is that simple. When a country experiences a significant bump in its economy, one of the indicators that economists use to explain it is the life expectancy of its citizens. Economists have linked increases in life expectancy of even one percent to rising economic growth rates. A healthy workforce boosts labor supply and productivity, two significant factors of growth.
To reach these economic gains, we need solutions to the region’s most endemic health challenges. Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, are the most serious health problems facing Latin America and the Caribbean today “in terms of avoidable deaths as well as costs to governments, families, and business,” according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Working-age adults represent one-third of preventative deaths from NCDs in the Americas.
PAHO is calling on public sector partners to create solutions that minimize the threat of disease and foster sustainable public health.
Take the YLAI for Health & Wellness pledge to promote health and wellness in your community, and do your part:
- Start or join a discussion online about health using #YLAIforHealth or #YLAIPorLaSalud
- Organize a community event to promote health and wellness
- Share healthy lifestyle techniques with the My YLAI Network Facebook group
- Add a new physical or creative activity to your routine to enhance the balance between work and personal life
- Recruit a friend to take the YLAI for Health & Wellness pledge
Economists know that health greatly influences a country’s economic potential. You can help by investing in your community’s health – it’s up to you!