As Nigerians Tuesday joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Heart Day, with the theme: “Healthy Heart Choices for Everyone, Everywhere”, Nigerians have been urged to shun an unhealthy lifestyle. Making the call yesterday at a free health screening exercise in Lagos to mark this year’s World Heart Day in Lagos, experts who gathered at the 8th Chike Okoli Week organised by Chike Okoli Foundation with support from Dangote Foundation, World Heart Federation, Nigerian Heart Foundation, NHF and Daily-Need urged Nigerians to surround themselves with healthy food options.
REE HEALTH SCREENING: Health officials from Chike Okoli Foundation at a free health screening exercise organised by the Foundation in collaboration with Dangote Foundation, Daily-Need, Nigeria Heart Foundation and the World Heart Federation, for traders at the Computer Village in Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday.
According to them, healthy environment can prevent cardiovascular disease which has become the World’s number one killer but despite the growing incidences of sudden deaths, many Nigerians have failed to recognise the need to pay attention to their health.
Programme Coordinator, Mrs. Beauty Alfred while addressing traders at the popular Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos said the environment where we live, work and play can have a huge effect on our ability to make the right choices for heart health, especially in increasingly urbanised environments that have changed our lifestyles and diets.
Alfred who noted that majority of the 6 million people reached by Chike Okoli Foundation in the course of the free screening exercise in the last 10 years have High Blood Pressure, HBP, said people should cut down on packaged foods, as they are often rich in sugar, salt and fat.
“Make fruits and vegetable consumption your new best friend, swap sweet treats for mango or other fruits. Prepare healthy school or work lunches at home.” He further stressed the need for people to act as reports have shown that by 2030 tobacco – related deaths will increase to more than 8 million deaths a year.
She said about 80 percent of premature deaths are preventable through healthy diet, regular physical activity and avoiding tobacco. Alfred said the 8th Chike Okoli Week is targeting about 10,000 people for free health screening this week. The Week was initiated in memory of late Chike Okoli who died at the age of 25 years due to undetected coronary disease.
Alfred stated that, the Foundation was set up to prevent Nigerian youths from suffering from late Chike’s fate by reaching them with the save-your-heart message. The Foundation creates awareness among Nigerians on the need to monitor their blood pressure regularly and make right food choices. She appealed to the Federal Government to pay more attention to public hospitals as many Nigerians cannot afford to pay for basic health checks.
Every year, the World Health Federation, WHF and the World Health Organisations, WHO, mark the World Health Day on 29 September to draw attention to the need for people across the globe to take part in the world’s biggest intervention against cardiovascular disease, CVD. This year focuses on creating healthy heart environments by ensuring that everyone has the chance to make healthy heart choices wherever they live, work and play. The day also encourages us all to reduce our cardiovascular risk, and promotes a heart-healthy planet for those around us.
Vanguard news
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