Businesses advised to invest in staff wellbeing for improved productivity

Prevention and early detection of both communicable and non-communicable diseases through simple, healthy lifestyle interventions is key to promoting the development of a healthy workforce, business managers are reminded.


“To increase and sustain productivity it is paramount to carefully align wellness initiatives with a company or any organisation’s culture to bring about transformation of staff into a healthy more efficient and productive workforce,” renowned health profession Bhakti Shah told The Guardian over the weekend.

Shah, who is the founding member and President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Tanzania went on to explain that ‘work life’ improvements translate to efficiency, productivity and loyalty among staff.

“Business should invest in their most valued assets, their staff…and a key investment is improvement of staff health and general wellbeing by participating in wellness programmes,” she urged and explained that among other benefits, companies and organisations that invest in their staff suffer less expenses in medical costs along with under productivity and absenteeism related to illness.

Shah, who is also the Founder and Managing Director of Impactafya, a health centre based in Dar es Salaam and provides a range of wholesome services to promote health, wellness and rehabilitative care, said a healthy lifestyle is the foundation of a productive workforce.

“Wellness programmes cultivate and sustain the culture of healthy lifestyles…eating and sleeping well, exercise, mental and spiritual development” she added.

Speaking to Masters in Public Health students from Dar es Salaam based Hubert Kairuki Memorial Hospital during their recent visit to the Impactafya centre as part of their field trip for the course module on non-communicable diseases, Shah listed ten components of a healthy lifestyle to include Positive attitude which said helps with stress management, vital for the work environment.

“Staff also need a healthy environment…clean, hygienic, pollution free and green environments that help prevent diseases,” she told them citing that healthy food combined with regular physical activities also helps reduce the risk of contracting chronic diseases.

She listed other healthy habits necessary to improve wellbeing and productivity as physical activities, spirituality and time with family, friends and other social networks.

“Adequate sleep is also very important…the quality of sleep at right times plays a vital role in good health and well being throughout your life... ongoing sleep deficiency can raise the risks for chronic health problems,” she warned and cautioned that people who suffer from addictions such as smoking, drugs, alcohol, more often than not, have one or more accompanying communicable and non-communicable medical issues that lowers their general productivity.