The Wellness Collective empowers women on harm reduction approaches. Picture: Supplied
The Wellness Collective, hosted by WomenCan, has taken significant strides in empowering women on holistic wellness through harm-reduction approaches.
It followed a conversation on nutrition, physical activity, self-care, mental health and lifestyle medication led by health-care experts at The Fortress Venue on Friday, August 23, 2024.
The Wellness Collective brought together more than 100 health-care professionals, focusing on guiding women towards healthier lifestyles, raising awareness of the risks associated with harmful substances and promoting holistic wellness approaches.
Speaking at the event, Dr Mothomang Diaho said: “Lifestyle medicine, an evidence-based approach that emphasises the importance of adopting healthy behaviours to prevent and manage diseases interventions are being used to reduce harm from chronic conditions, emphasising sustainable changes and modest improvements in diet, physical activity and stress management, leading to significant health benefits.”
Dr Pumela Gwengu highlighted the effects of lifestyle choices such as smoking, excess alcohol intake, overweight and daily pressures of work.
“We need to minimise the negative effects of unhealthy behaviours rather than focusing on eliminating them. Avoiding risky behaviour starts by recognising and understanding harmful effects, embracing a holistic approach and being empowered to deal with the circumstances that women are faced with by employing strategies that are practical and transformative such as community driven public health initiatives,” she said
Chief Director at Johannesburg Health District, Lombuso Matlala spoke about the importance of collaborative efforts in health care: “We need to empower our health practitioners as they are currently operating in isolation, but integrating our services on prevention, risk reduction and health promotion can greatly impact our communities.”
The Star
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