Promoting healthy living

In all the countries we operate, we encourage, educate and support our employees and local communities to make healthy lifestyle choices, so that they can lead better lives.

In addition to providing a range of health benefits to employees, we also take part in external events and initiatives that promote mental and physical wellbeing:

• Charity Sports Events – We actively encourage employees to participate in active lifestyle events so they can contribute to their communities while doing something good for themselves. As one example, Manulife Vietnam has been the proud sponsor of the Hanoi Run for Children since 2000, in partnership with the Canadian Embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnam-Canada Friendship Association. In 2018, the event attracted more than 7,000 participants and raised more than US$47,800 in funding which was donated to supporting hospitals for disadvantaged children suffering from cancer and congenital heart diseases in Vietnam. Manulife Vietnam employees also joined the Terry Fox Run in 2019 and the Danang Marathon between 2016 – 2019.
• World Heart Day – Created by the World Heart Federation, World Heart Day informs people around the globe that cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is the world’s leading cause of death claiming 17.9 million lives each year, and highlights the actions that individuals can take to prevent and control CVD. It aims to drive awareness and education around how controlling risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided. We’ve partnered with the World Heart Federation since 2017 to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease.
  • In Singapore, as part of our activities on World Heart Day, we conducted a CPR training workshop for all staff to get them CPR-ready. We also conducted a study which uncovered insights into Singaporeans’ attitudes, understanding and behaviour towards heart heath. It showed 7 out of 10 Singaporeans would not be able to identify a heart attack if it happens to them. To address this issue, we launched the Stop the Drama campaign, featuring veteran actor Lim Kay Tong giving a masterclass on dramatic ‘movie’ heart attacks versus real life heart attacks.
  • In Hong Kong, we organised a series of activities in 2018 promoting a heart-healthy lifestyle, focussed on becoming more active and making healthy food choices. Activities included a forest bathing trip in Japan and a seminar on heart health for employees, as well as an Eat Smart cooking class in collaboration with the Children’s Heart Foundation, that thought children with heart disease and their parents to learn family-friendly heart-healthy recipes together.
• Walk for Millions – Manulife Hong Kong supports the annual Walk for Millions charity drive organised by the Hong Kong Community Chest. The walk raises funds for social welfare agencies in order to provide services to families in need and to encourage closer bonds within disadvantaged families.
• Mental Health – Having a healthy mind as well as body is important to living a long and happy life. As part of its mental health initiatives, Manulife organises seminars and events for employees. Recent examples include Manulife Cambodia’s panel discussion on ‘the Power of Positive Thinking’ organised by the Global Women’s Alliance (GWA), and a series of lunch and learn sessions on the relationship between food and mood.