Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has called upon the private sector to focus on the healthy lifestyle of workers to achieve sustainable business growth. He said this while speaking as Guest of Honor at the 3rd International Lifestyle Medicine Conference 2022 organized by the Rifah Institute of Lifestyle Medicine.

Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari said that many people at workplaces normally suffer from some common diseases including sugar, high blood pressure and stress, the main cause of which is their inactive lifestyle as most of them remain sitting for hours without any physical activity. He stressed on the employers to focus on adopting the principles of workplace wellness to keep their employees fit and healthy. He emphasized that the employers should develop health protection, health promotion and disease prevention programs and policies to reduce health risks and improve the quality of life of their workers that would reduce direct and indirect costs such as absenteeism and improve the productivity of workers for companies. He said that employers should provide their workers easy access to health fitness facilities, organize for them seminars and workshops on health education besides arranging health insurance coverage for appropriate preventive screenings. He said that healthy workers would contribute more effectively to the growth of businesses and organizations by enhancing productivity and reducing healthcare costs.

Hassan Muhammad Khan Chancellor Rifah International University, Dr. Shagufta Feroz Director Riphah Institute of Lifestyle Medicine, Prof. Dr. Anis Ahmed and many local and international speakers also addressed the 3rd International Lifestyle Medicine Conference 2022 and highlighted the benefits of lifestyle medicines to lead a healthy life. The theme of the Conference was “Science of Preventing, Arresting and Reversing Disease”.