SASNET and Partners Mark World Heart Day With Cardiovascular Health Screening Outreach

The Stroke Association Support Network (SASNET- Ghana) in partnership with the World Heart Federation (WHF), the Ghanaian Society of Cardiology (GSC), the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), has organized a rigorous cardiovascular health screening exercise for residents of Anlo Afiadenyigba in the Keta Municipality of the Volta region on Saturday, September 29, to mark this year’s World Heart Day (WHD) campaign.

The campaign was earlier on Friday, September 27 launched in Accra by the National Cardiothoracic Center with a call for increased awareness and focus on global action against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

It would run from 2024 to 2026, on the theme: “Use heart for action.”

The aim of the campaign is to encourage people to take proactive steps towards heart health.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director for SASNET, Ad Adams, said cardiovascular disease (CVD) was the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming more than 20.5 million lives every year, with majority of the deaths in low and middle income countries like Ghana.

“Cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure, remain a silent but deadly epidemic.

“But the good news is that 80 per cent of premature deaths from CVDs are preventable through lifestyle changes,” he added.

He urged the government and stakeholders to influence policies, such as prioritisation of cardiovascular disease prevention awareness creation and more education on CVD,s, adding, “our goal from 2024 to 2026 is to engage communities to make deliberate efforts to prevent CVDs through lifestyle changes, and also push policymakers to implement national cardiovascular health action plans.

Ad Adams said although the heart was the body’s strongest muscle, it was also highly vulnerable, particularly to habits such as smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol.

“A compromised heart system he indicated, often leads to cardiovascular diseases, and without taking action to mitigate risk factors, individuals increase their chances of developing heart-related issues,
urging the public to adopt healthier lifestyles and habits to avoid contracting CVD,s.

He further said that children should not be left out of heart health discussions, as they also suffer from undiagnosed or untreated conditions that can have lifelong consequences.

He also urged schools, parents and healthcare providers to prioritise heart health in children, saying “education on healthy eating, exercises and avoiding alcohol and tobacco should start early.”

Keta Municipal Director of Health Services, Emmanuel Kona, also underscored the importance of adopting healthier lifestyles to prevent the spread of cardiovascular diseases which he indicated contributed largely to the mortality rare in the Keta Municipality.

He said the Municipal Health Directorate had increased its awareness creation campaign through out the municipality by partnering health facilities, religious organizations and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to expand cardiovascular screenings to schools, churches and remote areas to enhance advocacy on heart health.

The World Heart Day (WHD) was established in 2000, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), to mobilise international action and create awareness about cardiovascular diseases.

It became an annual event in 2011 and in 2020, a #”UseHeart” campaign was initiated to encourage individuals to be mindful of their heart health.

Every year, members of the World Heart Federation embark on mass campaigns in schools, churches, mosques, organisations and clubs to raise awareness, conduct heart health exercises, and also organises cardiovascular screening exercises.

By Leo Nelson || Ghananewsonline.com.gh