Wellness Day
Wellness Day is a Novartis and Sandoz initiative, which allows associates to take an additional day to get a health screening check-up between now and the end of 2020.
Why Wellness Day and how did this campaign come about?
How did this campaign come about? Recent data from a number of sources including our own observations has demonstrated that many people are avoiding getting routine check-ups, health screening and early diagnostic tests, because of the pandemic.
According to the newly established consortium of Peak Bodies, Industry and Healthcare Organisations, The Continuity of Care Collaboration (CCC), over half of all Australians are avoiding their healthcare during COVID-19.
Data from the Cancer Council supports this, with over a third less breast cancer screenings taking place during the coronavirus pandemic. This drop in early detection means that up to 8,000 women have breast cancer right now but do not know it.1
Additional data from Cancer Australia showed substantial drops in tests that diagnose three of the most common cancers (skin, breast and colorectal) in Australia between March and April. 2
Experts fear the case will also be the same for heart disease – with males twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease, and the disease responsible for 1 in 4 deaths in Australia in 2018.3
But it could be any number of different health issues and we must act now to stop this trend of neglecting our general health.
This is why we have created the Wellness Day campaign - a day for you concentrate on your physical health and give you the time to get your most important asset - your health - assessed.
What is a health screening check?
A health screening check is a necessity for protecting your health and preventing health issues and disease. It can involve an array of tests, which vary depending on many factors such as your age, sex, family history, environment and behaviours.
Below are some of the routine checks ups that you can do during your Wellness Day, but please discuss with your GP or health care professional what is best suited to you:
- Breast check
- Skin check and mole mapping
- Cervical screening test
- Routine blood test
- Prostate / testicular cancer check
- Bowel screening
- Eye check-up
Wellness Day charity sponsors
With the launch of the campaign falling in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, at Novartis we have chosen to collaborate on Wellness Day with our ongoing patient partners McGrath Foundation and Pink Hope.
Hear Krystal, Founder of Pink Hope, on why we need YOU to take your Wellness Day.
This important initiative goes beyond Novartis employees. As a commitment to this initiative, Novartis will be making a donation to both the McGrath Foundation and Pink Hope – two organisations pivotal to Breast Cancer.
By getting you and your family and friends to complete a health check, you will be raising funds for these organisations and spreading the important conversation of early screening. To incorporate a donation as part of your wellness day you can find the Wellness Day donation links of the McGrath Foundation and Pink Hope .
If you happen to work with another charity group and would prefer to link your Wellness Day with them, we encourage all donations to be made to patient organisations.
How can my company get involved?
Novartis invites all organisations to join us and participate in this important initiative. In whatever way you can at this time – either by providing time off for your employees to get a health check, by donating to the McGrath Foundation, Pink Hope or a charity of your choice, or simply by building awareness through use of social media tiles by promoting the cause via your own social media channels. We have included a number of assets below for you to use for the purpose- no need to get permission, just download and post away! Please join Novartis in changing community behaviour towards routine Health Screening.
If you want to invest in a corporate skin check program, you could also invite Beard Season (another one of our partner organisations) to come and check your employees. Find out more here.
How can I get involved?
Novartis wants YOU to get involved. We want you to complete a health check and utilise all available social networks to pledge to others to get their health check too! Make sure you use one of the assets or filters and #getchecked #dontwaitmate #continuityofcare.
Wellness Day assets
This campaign largely depends on the use of social media. To generate that momentum in our communities we need your help. We have created some assets to share with you to share on your own social channels – easy!
The campaign hashtags are: #getchecked #WellnessDay
You can also link to the Continuity of Care Collaboration with #DontWaitMate
Download the assets here for your use on different platforms:
Tips for posting on your social channels
On Facebook we have created a frame – please search Wellness Day where and you can add this to your Facebook profile picture.
Sample posts you could use are below:
- I’ve had my health checkup have you? #getchecked #WellnessDay #DontWatiMate
- I have been putting off getting my X checked. I just never could find the right time. With the #WellnessDay initiative, I no longer have an excuse to not #getchecked. What are you waiting for? #DontWaitMait
- I am proud of my company X, which has signed up to Novartis’ #WellnessDay initiative and gave me the time to put my own health and wellbeing first and #getchecked! #WellnessDay #DontWaitMait
- I am proud of our company who have created this #WellnessDay for all employees to take the time to #getchecked. #NovartisLife #mycompany
- I have just completed my Wellness Check and #mycompany has just donated $10 to charity on my behalf. Sign up too! Search Novartis #getchecked
Wellness Day is a Novartis Australia and New Zealand initiative. Novartis Australia and New Zealand is a registered company and located at 54 Waterloo Rd, Macquarie Park NSW 2113, Australia. October 2020.
Novartis could not have created this campaign without Pink Hope, McGrath, Beard Season, Lion and Lamb and Cube Communications .
Novartis is proud to be sponsors of the following Patient Organisations:
References
- Cancer Council (12 July 2020) Media Statement: Breast cancer notification down amid COVID-19 Pandemic
- Cancer Australia. Review of the impact of COVID-19 on medical services and procedures in Australia utilising MBS data: Skin, breast and colorectal cancers, and telehealth services. Available online: https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/publications-and-resources/cancer-australia-publications/review-impact-covid-19-medical-services-and-procedures-australia-utilising-mbs-data-skin-breast-and. Last accessed October 2020.
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Cardiovascular disease. Available online: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/heart-stroke-vascular-diseases/cardiovascular-health-compendium/contents/how-many-australians-have-cardiovascular-disease. Last accessed October 2020.