WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AstraZeneca , one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, today announced its support of Healthy America, an initiative introduced by Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and endorsed by the National Governors Association. AstraZeneca has contributed $250,000 toward this initiative, which brings together the public and private sectors to promote behavioral and lifestyle changes that contribute to sustainable long-term health for children, teenagers, adults, and seniors.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060228/PHTU031 )
“As a responsible pharmaceutical company, our number one priority is to improve patient health, and nothing reflects this commitment greater than our own employee health programs,” said Tony Zook, President and CEO, AstraZeneca US. “We are delighted to support initiatives such as Governor Huckabee’s Healthy America, which exemplifies our dedication to making healthcare a personal experience by emphasizing prevention, health education, and healthy choices.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately 65 percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight. The Healthy America initiative is aimed at tackling that startling statistic by building a culture of physical activity, disease prevention and wellness across the country. Each state is urged to implement policies that support family-focused education campaigns, greater access to preventative health care, incentives for increased physical activity, restrictions on tobacco usage, and healthy diet choices in schools and the workplace.
According to Zook, AstraZeneca’s corporate culture reflects the goals of the Healthy America initiative. The Company enables its employees to make healthy choices by providing onsite health screenings, physical fitness facilities, a variety of nutritious diet choices and smoking cessation assistance. All employees are encouraged to participate in an annual health risk assessment, which surveys health habits, and then provides a written appraisal and recommendations based on the identified risks.
In addition, AstraZeneca is a founding member of the CEO Gold Standard Program, which calls for employers to develop policies, benefit programs, and health promotion activities to address tobacco use, physical activity, diet and nutrition, cancer screening and early detection, and quality care for cancer patients.
“Making a commitment to health and wellness is a very personal decision, and we want to ensure that our employees and all Americans are equipped with the information they need to make those crucial choices,” said Zook.
Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060228/PHTU031AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.orgAP PhotoExpress Network: PRN16PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comAstraZeneca
CONTACT: Andy Izquierdo, +1-202-350-5530, Andy.Izquierdo@astrazeneca.com,or Carla Burigatto, +1-302-886-5953, Carla.burigatto@astrazeneca.com, bothof AstraZeneca
Web site: http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/
Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/985887.html/
