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    World Heart Day – Are You Caring for Your Heart?

    By Keith R | September 29, 2007

    Topics: Health Issues | No Comments »

          
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    Tomorrow, Sunday, 30 September, is World Heart Day.  How well are you taking care of your heart?

    The World Heart Federation (WHF), a small NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland, created the annual campaign in the year 2000 to increase public awareness of the threat of heart disease and stroke and the importance of a heart-healthy lifestyle.  They claim that it is "the most successful, consistent and focused campaign against heart disease and stroke undertaken around the globe."

    That may or may not be true, but I have no quibble with the WHF's efforts or the cause.  If you've been reading The Temas Blog any length of time, you already know how serious an issue this is for Latin America and the Caribbean.  In case you missed them, here are some of the key past posts on the subject:

        PAHO Calls for a “Trans Fat Free Americas”
        Argentina Seeks a Healthier Lifestyle
        Cardiovascular Disease in LAC Revisited
        Assessment of Non-communicable Chronic Disease in Uruguay / Diagnóstico de las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles en Uruguay 
        Helping Poor Countries Deal with Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases 
        Tackling Chronic Diseases in the Caribbean / Atacando enfermedades crónicas en el Caribe 

    The theme for this year’s campaign is “Team Up for Healthy Hearts!", to remind people of how families and communities can play an important role in helping individuals to reduce their risk for heart attack and stroke by focusing on areas such as unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and tobacco use.

    The host organization(s) in each country schedules different types of events.  Some provide free cardiovascular screenings.  Some give talks, have essay and/or poster competitions.  Some schedule exercise events.  Some do walks, bike fests, etc.  To find out about what events are scheduled for your country, click on the following links:

        Barbados
        Bolivia 
        Chile
        Colombia 
        Jamaica 
        Paraguay
        Peru
        Venezuela 

    You might have noticed that Brazil is not on this list.  That is because last year the WHF member, the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC), decided to have an entire year of activities rather than just a single day, and for all of 2007 launched its "Programa PrevenAção" ("PrevenAction Program") in forty cities.

    Cuba and Nicaragua are not on that list because they chose to hold their heart day events a week before.  Neither is Uruguay, which instead of a single day has held events throughout the country all this past week.

    What I'd like someone to explain to me is why Argentina and Mexico are not on that list.

     

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