(From left) AIA Malaysia chief executive officer Ben Ng, AIA group chief risk officer Jayne Plunkett, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and AIA group chief marketing officer Stuart Spencer at the AIA Healthiest Schools regional awards event 2023 held at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
EXISTING with chronic health conditions and enjoying a long, happy, healthy life till the ripe old age of 80 are two opposite ends of the stick.
The former is lifespan, while the latter is health span – both of which can be maximised to the fullest with proper lifestyle choices beginning from a young age.
This is where Asia’s leading insurance company AIA Group plays a large role in tackling the rapid rise of lifestyle diseases.
AIA group chief marketing officer Stuart Spencer says the organisation is taking the lead in cultivating and shaping the behaviours and mindset of future generations – enabling them to live “healthier, longer, better lives”.
Noting there is abundant research which clearly underscores the correlation between health literacy and healthiness, Spencer says: “The more one understands about health, the healthier one will be.
“AIA firmly believes that the healthier children are, the better they will learn. Hence, better learning outcomes and presence in schools.”
He adds that AIA is driving fundamental behavioural changes to enable millions of people to adopt healthier habits, have greater health literacy, and be more conscious of how they live – which drives lifespan and health span.
“We are tackling the vast proliferation of lifestyle diseases including heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and hypertension that are triggered through lack of exercise, poor diet, stress, consuming alcohol, smoking, mental anxiety, etc.
“Lifestyle diseases are a potent, high-risk cocktail that is everywhere. In Malaysia, over 70% of diseases diagnosed are lifestyle related,” says Spencer who has been named Asia-Pacific’s 50 most influential and purposeful marketers for the sixth consecutive year.
As the largest health insurer in Asia, AIA is keen to create impactful, attainable and tangible change, as well as trigger personal journeys of health and wellness across the region.Healthy start in schools
In February 2022, AIA set an ambition to engage a billion people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives by 2030 through the AIA One Billion initiative. To support this, in June 2022 AIA Group launched the AIA Healthiest Schools programme to make a wider positive impact on communities across Asia.
The programme aims to promote healthy eating, active lifestyles, mental wellbeing, health and sustainability among students aged five to 16, starting in the classroom.
With zero added costs, it offers curriculum-linked resources that can be easily integrated into the existing school syllabus for teachers to inspire students to take action and lead healthier lives.
“The programme provokes, stimulates and engenders effort, imagination and innovation at schools to demonstrate that ‘healthier, longer, better lives’ is achievable across four essential spectrums – physical, mental, financial and environmental health.
“We want individuals to feel they can move beyond the social media stereotypical emblems of beauty and health and be able to embark on personal journeys of health and wellness,” says Spencer.
The first edition of the programme was held in four of AIA’s 18 markets – Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam – with the ambition to expand to more markets in the coming years.
“This could generate generations of individuals across Asia who will become mature, healthy adults with an appreciation to drive not only lifespan, but health span as well.
“AIA is investing in the next generation of humanity across Asia. A healthier Asia is in everyone’s best interest.”
The culmination of the first edition of the programme was celebrated in Malaysia, where AIA held it’s very first AIA Healthiest Schools Regional Awards Event 2023, which recognised one primary school and one secondary school winner from the four markets which have demonstrated the positive impact of their health and wellness initiatives.
Lending her support to the event, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek says that enhancing health and education outcomes requires collective effort and collaboration.
“I applaud AIA’s tireless endeavours through the AIA Healthiest Schools programme, striving to help millions of people live healthier, longer, better lives.
“Malaysia, in its unwavering commitment to a healthier nation, recognises the influential role of schools as agents of change,” she said at the event.
Thailand’s Daroonwittaya Tedsaban Muangnan (Bansuantan) School emerged as the winner in the regional primary school category for its approach to holistic health and wellbeing through nutrition, physical fitness, mental wellbeing and sustainability, with enthusiastic participation by the pupils.
Vietnam’s Alpha School bagged top spot for the regional secondary school category for its creative, innovative and impactful methods in addressing the mental wellbeing of students through immersive workshops held at its School of Wellbeing exhibition.
The schools won prizes worth up to US$100,000 in the form of school equipment and wellness experiences.
A total of 744 primary and secondary schools across Australia, Vietnam, Thailand and Hong Kong took part in the first phase of AIA’s Healthiest Schools programme – which will be launched in Malaysia later this year.
Find out more about the AIA Healthiest Schools programme at ahs.aia.com
