Wellness Week Pushes Healthier Everyday Choices

Wellness does not begin and end at the doctor’s office. It is shaped by the food on our plates, how much we move, how we handle stress and even the conditions in the places where we live and work. That broader approach is driving Wellness Week 2026, now underway across Belize. The Ministry of Health and Wellness is encouraging Belizeans to make healthier decisions, while calling on workplaces and communities to create environments where those choices are practical and accessible. Kathleen Azueta Cho, Technical Advisor in Health Education at the ministry, explains why improving the country’s health requires more than treating illness. It means building healthier habits and making wellness part of everyday life.

 

Kathleen Azueta Cho, Technical Advisor on Health Education, MOHW

“The theme is promoting health, transforming environments and really what that message is saying is that it’s not simply about individuals but the habits go beyond that. It also entails creating the environments that support the choices and the decisions that we make around our well-being. You know, are these environments supporting healthier habits? You know, it’s about where we live, where we work, where we play, where we interact with other individuals. Those environments also allow us to make those choices. Wellness Week goes beyond a week of activities and it’s really about cultivating those habits that we can then make sustainable. So we want Belizeans to ask themselves, “What can I do to be closer to a healthier lifestyle? What can I change? What can I modify that brings me one step to making that environment necessary for my well-being journey. Tomorrow is all about getting your numbers checked. Know your numbers because screenings are an important part of wellness. Detecting early, you act earlier, and you avoid any complications. And if you need to follow up on medications, on getting the right treatment, preventative screening helps us to do so.”

 

There are a series of activities planned at public health centers across the country for Wellness Week, including yoga sessions, health fairs and even a soca jam session in Belmopan on Friday evening.

 

MoHW Says Workplace Wellness Boosts Health and Productivity

 

For many Belizeans, the workplace is where they spend most of their waking hours, so the Ministry of Health and Wellness says healthy living cannot stop at the office door. Employers are encouraged to build wellness into the workday through simple measures such as stretch breaks, exercise sessions and stress-management activities. The idea is not to transform every workplace into a gym, but to create a culture that supports employees’ physical and mental wellbeing. Health officials say when workers feel better, they are more focused, more productive and better equipped to handle the pressures of the job. Ultimately, workplace wellness is not only good for employees; it can also strengthen the organizations that depend on them.

 

Kathleen Azueta Cho, Technical Advisor on Health Education, MOHW

“When we do have a healthy workforce, we also have a productive workforce, right? And so if we are able to create a culture of wellness in a setting where people are spending most of their hours throughout the day, then we are also giving them a chance to be pleasant, to be happy, to be stress-free. We don’t wanna create an environment where they’re you know, constantly worried, they’re constantly stressed about meeting deadlines. But we also want them to have a time to get up and, and, and stretch their legs, to get their steps in. And it can be gradual activities, you know, that they can implement through the, the, the year. We have days that you could set aside, a snack break. Offering maybe a health talks, a yoga session for your staff. I mean, these things go a long way in creating an environment where they want to come to work, right? And when they want to come to work, they’re able to perform better. You will see less sick days.”

 

The Ministry of Health and Wellness says employers must aim to create workplaces where physical activity, mental wellbeing and healthy routines are part of the everyday culture.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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