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SINGAPORE - The Health Promotion Board (HPB) announced today that it is expanding the reach of its Health Ambassador Network to the workplace, signing pharmaceutical firm Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) as its first Corporate Health Ambassador.
Under the programme, MSD employees must follow and pass all training modules conducted by HPB to become Health Ambassadors, after which they will be mobilised during HPB's health promoting outreach programmes and activities.
MSD said it aims to get every staff member signed up as a Health Ambassador.
Depending on their preferred areas of deployment, they can become 'I Quit Champions', 'Healthy Agers', 'Lose to Win Champions' or 'Brisk Walking Champions'.
They can also simply help to conduct simple health checks and provide information on health assistance schemes at community clubs.
Leading by example, MSD's top management completed an accelerated training programme and will be mobilised alongside their employees.
Said Mr Ang Hak Seng, Chief Executive Officer of HPB: "The involvement of organisations is an important milestone for the Health Ambassador Network as it allows us to leverage a concentration of expertise and skills found within these organisations.
"This partnership with MSD allows HPB to tap a large number of professionals familiar with pharmaceutics, who will be able to contribute as volunteers in helping the less-literate elderly adhere to their medication schedules."
The partnerships will also enable HPB to tap the power of social networks - particularly within the corporate world - to spread healthy lifestyle messages across Singapore, he said.
Mr Ang added that he hopes that other organisations will come on board.
With the launch of the Corporate Health Ambassador Programme, HPB is also introducing a new e-learning platform for its Health Ambassadors so as to enable training modules for Health Ambassadors to be conducted conveniently online.
Since the Health Ambassador Network was launched in October last year, more than 3,000 people of all ages and backgrounds have signed up to be Health Ambassadors.
HPB aims to recruit 10 Corporate Health Ambassadors by the end of 2012.
yamadak@sph.com.sg