GE Healthcare has launched a global competition on multiple social
media platforms - Twitter, Facebook and Sina Weibo - to raise public
awareness about cancer prevention. Over the next six weeks, GE
Healthcare’s “#GetFit”
campaign will encourage people from all over the world to share their
own health and fitness activities and what they are doing to help reduce
their likelihood of developing cancer, a leading cause of death.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 30% of cancers
are preventable through a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise. With
the goal to spread a positive message across the world, for the second
year #GetFit
challenges participants to share their ways of staying healthy and
getting fit. The campaign uses the power of collective wisdom propelled
by social media networks to encourage healthier lifestyles.
“Prevention and active participation in our own better health are the
first steps in improving health outcomes,” said John Dineen, President
and CEO, GE Healthcare. “Leveraging the power of gaming and social
networks to encourage lifestyles that can help prevent cancer isn’t just
a good idea – it’s part of our original healthymagination commitment to
bring actionable health content to consumers and our employees.”
Dineen continued, “At GE Healthcare, we also believe that our fight
against cancer requires an ongoing investment in innovation. That is why
we made a commitment of $1 billion in dedicated cancer-related research
and development. With even faster and more effective technologies, we
can enable clinicians with the powerful tools they need to accurately
diagnose and treat million patients.”
#GetFit Combines Gaming, Social Networks to Activate Health
Participants in GE Healthcare’s #GetFit competition require Internet
access and a Twitter, Facebook or Sina Weibo account in order to play.
By tracking progress against specific health challenges or by posting
comments about healthier lifestyles (eg. cycling to work, eliminating
smoking, eating a healthy meal), individuals and teams in countries
throughout the world will compete against one another while accumulating
“healthy” points and badges. #GetFit ambassadors – real, inspiring
people who have committed to healthy living and/or individuals who have
made strides in the fight against cancer – will cheer players on and
share their personal stories.
At the close of the six-week challenge, on Friday, September 28, the
player and the team with the most points accumulated will be announced
as the #GetFit champions. Ultimately, everyone will win – as people
across the world join together to help spread healthy cancer awareness
and prevention messages globally. (For more #GetFit challenge details,
visit www.ge.com/getfit).
GE’s HealthyShare App
To help spread the cancer prevention message, GE is supporting the
#GetFit campaign through its recently launched HealthyShare
Facebook App.
HealthyShare is a new tool on Facebook for people to share health goals,
track progress against goals and use friends as sources of inspiration
and motivation toward better health. The app features new challenges
that encourage users to get fit and live a healthier lifestyle. The
specific #GetFit challenges, updated weekly, will engage users to
maintain a healthy lifestyle in ways that can help prevent cancer. The
app can be shared with friends who will become a part of the journey to
better health by following progress, providing encouragement and even
participating alongside each other.
-ends-
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and
services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise
in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics,
patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical
manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance
solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more
people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with
healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change
necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare
systems.
Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join
us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on
reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the
world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of
General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees
are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in
more than 100 countries. www.gehealthcare.com.
For our latest news, please visit http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com/
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CONTACTS :
GE Healthcare
Allison J. Cohen
Global Corporate Public Relations and Communications Manager
+972.547 299 742
allison.cohen@ge.com
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