SINCE its establishment in 2023, the Unblocked Movement which was co-created by Novartis and its healthcare ecosystem partners has worked to promote better heart health in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMA) by tackling the No. 1 killer in the region: cardiovascular disease (CVD).
The movement continues to gain momentum through both local and regional initiatives and educational efforts to remove barriers for heart health for millions of people.
As part of the Unblocked Movement, Novartis kicked off its 2024 Unblocked APMA Challenge, a friendly competition to engage employees of the innovative healthcare solutions provider across the APMA region to prioritise their heart health through physical activities and healthy living.
Now in its second year, the Challenge recently unfolded as a month-long regional initiative. More than 2,000 Novartis associates have taken on the Challenge to promote an active and healthy lifestyle by using a social fitness app called GoJoe to track their physical activity.
They are also encouraged to share the importance of heart health with their family, friends and broader network.
Last year, the Challenge attracted the participation of more than1,500 employees with 260 teams formed and over 45,000 physical activities recorded during the four-week period.
“CVD remains the leading cause of mortality in the country with Malaysians experiencing CVD about 10 years younger compared to people in advanced countries,” commented Novartis’ country president (Malaysia and Brunei) Mohamed Elwakil.
“As an organisation that is committed to improving and extending the lives of over 32 million Malaysians, Novartis Malaysia aims to increase awareness around factors that promote heart health.”
During last year’s Unblocked Challenge, Novartis screened 231 associates for cholesterol as high LDL-c is an often-overlooked risk factor in developing CVD.
“It is heartening to see that has led to the promotion of a healthier lifestyle among our associates,” enthused Elwakil.
“During this year’s challenge, in just four weeks, our associates had covered 4,035km, burned 715,063 calories and spent 2,098 hours exercising. We hope that their efforts will inspire others to take charge of their heart health as well.” – July 30, 2024
