World Heart Day 2008

World Heart Day 2008

Sunday, 28th September 2008

World Heart Day 2008: World heart day was celebrated on the last Sunday of September every year. (This has subsequently been revised to 29th September every year). The celebrations were initiated by World Heart Federation in order to foster a heart healthy lifestyle for reducing the risk of heart disease. Various programs are conduction globally and details are posted on the federation website. Anyone planning to organise programs can submit the details at the website: world-heart-federation.org

Theme of the year: “Know Your Risk”

Every year the World Heart Federation announces a theme for the celebrations. The theme of this year’s World Heart Day Celebrations is ‘Know Your Risk’. It is meant to help people get a better understanding of their personal risk for cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure (hypertension). Screening for risk factors is an important aspect of this program. Screening programs will be held in over hundred countries. These will be along with public awareness programs which will include lectures, demonstrations and video / slideshows.

How can you get involved?

As the first step you can check for the World Heart Federation (WHF) member in your country on local activities and ways to collaborate with them. Details of member societies in your country are listed on the federation website.

If there is no society in your country which is a member of the federation, you can look out for those with similar interest in prevention of cardiovascular disease and start a society of your on. WHF members can access the members area of the federation website for a lot of useful information including press releases, newsletters and promotional material.

Once affiliated with WHF, your society’s activity can be submitted to the website for announcement to world.

What activities can be planned?

Different types of activities for spreading information on risk factors and risk factor screening can be planned. Risk factor screening for blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and blood sugar levels can be done. Free health check ups can be organised at local schools, clinics or hospitals. Free/discounted health check-ups at local clinics or hospitals. Public lectures, seminars and ask the expert sessions can be organised. Special newsletters or pamphlets can be published and distributed in places where people gather like cinemas, areas of worship or recreational spaces.

World Heart Day recreational activities encouraging physical activity can also be planned. This can be in the form of walks, runs or football / cricket matches. A swimming contest can also be good idea in feasible locations. Swimming can be considered as one of the best form of exercise for the whole body, which does not produce much strain on your weight bearing joints, unlike jogging or running.

Special functions like demonstration of healthy food cooking or sale of subsidised healthy food can also be organised.

Though the write up was for 2008, similar activities are there every year, though the theme changes.