Look after yourself – this was the key message when Global Vision of Hope, in partnership with various stakeholders, held a health awareness event in Mfuleni on Saturday November 9.
Nurses checked for TB, HIV/Aids and chronic diseases at Sandra Educare Centre.
Young and old came in their numbers to get their health assessed. The residents were urged to lead a healthy lifestyle and change their unhealthy habits.
The nurses also gave foot massages. The organisation’s project manager, Judy Borcherds, said they conduct these health screenings because people needed to be constantly reminded about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
She said it was a misconception that adopting a healthy lifestyle was expensive.
With the high prevalence of obesity and lifestyle diseases, she said such awareness events were needed to urge residents to give up harmful habits.
She said the organisation has been promoting healthy lifestyles for the last 20 years and also urges everyone to exercise regularly.
She said such awareness programmes give residents an opportunity to discuss in detail health issues, unlike in the clinics where the nurses and doctors have little time to engage with patients.
Talking about challenges, she said some patients were not compliant in taking their medication and long queues made some patients reluctant to visit clinics.
“We want people to make wise health decisions.
“How you treat yourself determines your health status.
“We want to make healthy living fashionable. We want to treat people with a little bit of respect.
“We have picked a lot of people today who had eye problems and we have actually referred them to receive glasses.
“We want to see the community improving their healthy status and live longer.
“It is good to know your health status and from there then starting to change your lifestyle,” she said.
Community Advisory Board of Mfuleni (CAB) chairperson, Sintu Sdumo, said their role was to champion healthy living and encourage the residents to be aware of their healthy status.
Mr Sdumo said it was important that the residents were educated about their health and various ways of improving it.
He said they wanted to see residents in Mfuleni advocating for a health lifestyle.
Resident Fezeka Mboto praised the initiative, saying it is what residents need.
Ms Mboto said there is no queues and you have enough time to ask questions about your healthy status.
She urged the organisation to visit their community regularly.