AIA encourages people to live a healthy lifestyle
Articulating the purpose of living a healthier, better and longer life, AIA Insurance made this assurance in its new brand promise at a recent gathering in Colombo.
AIA CEO Pankaj Banerjee
Findings of AIA’s ‘Healthy Living Index’ this year reveal that Sri Lanka is facing a critical illness ‘finance gap’. Sri Lankans are worried that their savings, current levels of insurance and government health provisions may not be enough to manage the cost of serious illnesses. AIA CEO Pankaj Banerjee pointed this out with statistics from the findings at an event held at the Hilton Residence in Colombo on Wednesday.
He said, “41 per cent of people are concerned about the potential critical illness, 35 per cent of Sri Lankans rate themselves positively on the amount of exercise they get, 35 per cent are satisfied with their frequent medical check-ups and Sri Lankans claim to exercise 1.4 hours each week.” There has been a sharp decline in the number of people who are satisfied with their health, he added.
Mr. Banerjee reiterated, “We want people to live healthier, better and longer lives. Longevity of people across the world has increased. Health comes first. Life expectancy is increasing in the region. Asia is getting older before it gets rich.”
Sri Lanka’s lifestyle habitats are alarming according to the World Health Organisation report, he noted. The report states 24 per cent of people in Sri Lanka do not exercise enough, 1.5 million people smoke 11 cigarettes a day, 73 per cent people don’t eat enough vegetables and 3.5 litres of alcohol is consumed per capita. The report further states that 75 per cent of deaths in Sri Lanka are due to non-communicable diseases.
AIA Deputy CEO Upul Wijesinghe stated that the cost of medical treatment is increasing annually by 7 per cent. With people living an average of 20 years after retirement, ensuring the sustainability of a lifestyle they used to live along with the inevitable medical bills when there is no sustainable monthly income is a challenge. Fifty per cent of retirees in Sri Lanka depend on their children, he added.
AIA Chief Marketing Officer, Nikhil Advani said, “Corporate wellness is an important part of what we do because it ensures a healthy workforce. That is why we proactively conduct corporate wellness days engaging employees to understand their health and show them how they can use the AIA Vitality Mobile App to improve their health.”
AIA has also announced ‘The Healthiest Workplace Survey’ for the first time in Sri Lanka. 165 leading corporates in Sri Lanka have registered for this and the healthiest company will be recognized and awarded at an event later this year.