Vitality Health International introduces Vitality rewards across Africa

On 1 January 2022, Vitality Health International (VHI), a division of Discovery Group that is responsible for its international health insurance initiatives, launched its Shared-value health insurance product offering in several African countries – Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Zambia. Employers who operate in these countries can now offer their employees access to quality healthcare through a comprehensive set of health insurance benefits covering the full spectrum of their employees’ medical needs.

Today VHI confirmed that it is rolling out its Vitality behaviour-change platform for the first time across the African countries outside of South Africa, where its Shared-value health insurance offering is currently available. Vitality forms the foundation of this pioneering health insurance offering and provides health-promoting benefits and rewards to enhance and protect lives and create a cycle that makes people, businesses, and society healthier.

Dr Jonathan Broomberg, CEO of Vitality Health International, said, “We are proud to announce that the Vitality offering for Vitality Health International is being launched in the five countries where we operate at present - Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. To incentivise engagement in healthy behaviour, employees with our health insurance product will have access to Vitality, the world's leading behavioural science-based, health promotion platform, which creates healthier societies in partnership with various health and lifestyle service providers.”

Vitality’s global reach now spans 36 markets, including the five new markets outside of South Africa, “While Vitality is unique to each of the global markets where it is available, a distinguishing feature is the power of the more than 150 partners that join strengths to offer financial and lifestyle rewards that encourage people to improve their health, with subsequent positive effects for businesses, insurers and society,” says Broomberg.

In its initial rollout, Vitality will offer employers the ability for employees to link an approved wearable fitness device to the Vitality platform, to track their physical activity. Employees on Vitality will also be able to complete online health assessments to understand their health risks and receive weekly goals to increase their physical activity levels and earn rewards with Vitality Active Rewards. In three easy steps, Vitality members can:

• Track physical activity through linked wearable fitness devices.
• Achieve weekly, personalised activity goals through the Vitality platform, and
• Earn weekly rewards for achieving their physical activity goals.

Vitality has shown remarkable results in other countries, including South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Engagement in healthy behaviours has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 morbidity by 37% and reduced healthcare costs by as much as 17%. For employers, engagement in Vitality lowers the number of sick days taken by engaged employees by 46% and increases productivity due to improved health by approximately seven days a month.

Broomberg says, “Organisations invest heavily in their employees’ health and wellbeing and Shared-value health insurance, combined with Vitality, makes managing employee health more effective and less complex. The results we have seen though Vitality are significant and we look forward to bringing the benefits of Vitality to employers and employees across the African continent. Shared-value health insurance provides workforces and employers with access to a consistent health insurance experience. Vitality adds an element that goes beyond traditional insurance by encouraging employees to remain in good health, reducing the cost of their insurance and sustaining their health and productivity.”

Visit www.vitalityhealthinternational.com for more information.

ENDS