CHALFONT ST. GILES, England - Tuesday, August 21st 2012 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today GE Healthcare 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.
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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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