Dubai, 14 September 2019:  The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) is organizing, in cooperation and association with Majid Al Futtaim, the American Heart Association, the Emirati Cardiac Society and Burjeel Hospital, heart-health awareness campaign, which is targeting the women, in particular, and society in general, it aims to raise awareness on the risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases and the importance of conducting medical checkups on a regular basis.

The campaign comes on the sidelines of the World Heart Day which falls on September 29.

In this regard, MoHAP is carrying out a series of events at the shopping malls of Majid Al Futtaim in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah. 
The activities of the campaign will be carried out three days every weekend until the end of September. The events include free examinations such as sugar and HbA1c checkup, cholesterol, blood pressure, and BMI, in addition to nutritional and medical tips and distribution of awareness leaflets.

A Workshop on the Latest Electronic and Smart Technologies

In preparation for the kick-off of the awareness campaign, MoHAP organized a workshop for the nutritionists, medical and nursing staff on the medical examinations in accordance with the recent electronic and smart technologies.

The workshop was organized collaboratively with Majid Al Futtaim, the American Heart Association, the Emirati Cardiac Society and Burjeel Hospital.

Improving the Outcomes of the National Health Indicators 

H.E. Dr. Hussein Abdel Rahman Al-Rand, Undersecretary of the Ministry’s Health Assistant Sector, Health Centers and Clinics, said that organizing such events comes as part of MoHAP’s endeavors to curb the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the UAE, thus improving the national health indicators outcomes associated with the mortality rate of cardiovascular diseases per 100,000 persons, as part of the objectives of the National Agenda 2021.

Al-Rand explained that the events fall under the strategy of MoHAP’s operational plan in terms of providing comprehensive and integrated healthcare services in innovative and sustainable ways that ensure the prevention of society from diseases, promoting the community awareness about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles and identifying the risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases such as obesity, smoking, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet.
He added that the UAE is committed to its pledges before the World Health Organization (WHO) in terms of exerting the necessary efforts to scale down the deaths associated with non-communicable diseases, with a ratio up to 25% by the year 2025.

“The cardiovascular diseases are the cause of the one-third of the non-communicable mortalities around the world. For that reason, cardiovascular diseases are considered the top killer in the world, with a ratio of up to 31% of the number of deaths around the globe. This would explain our endeavors to raise awareness of the importance of controlling heart diseases and their associated risk factors.” Al-Rand noted.

Dr. Fadila Mohamed Sherif, Director of MoHAP’s Health Education & Promotion Department, highlighted the importance of taking part and bolstering this campaign in cooperation with Majid Al Futtaim Group, the American Heart Association, the Emirati Cardiac Society and Burjeel Hospital, underlining that the campaign aims to enhance the cooperation between government and private institutions to protect the society from cardiovascular diseases and to promote the social responsibility.

Sherif added that the campaign would help the individuals to make positive changes in terms of maintaining the heart health and reducing heart diseases, stroke and their associated risk factors, such as hypertension, tobacco, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet. This could be achieved by providing the society with healthy alternatives such as health facilities for engaging in physical activity and provision of healthy food.

She stated that the campaign includes several educational activities in the shopping malls. This includes medical examinations on heart health. Such check-ups would help detect health issues in the early stages.

The campaign will also feature awareness lectures on cardiovascular disease and the causes of it, in addition to handing out educational booklets on physical activity and healthy diet.