The World heart day is a globally celebrated campaign, during which individuals, communities, families, and government of various nations across the globe participate and become the custodian of their heart health or their loved ones. The campaign is organized every year to raise awareness about the Cardio-Vascular Diseases (CVD) among the general public and their possible outcomes. Every year almost 17.9 million people lose their lives due to Cardio Vascular Diseases constituting almost 31% of all deaths. Besides, it accounts for more than half of the deaths caused by Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD), thus becoming a major concern worldwide. A huge percentage of people in the society are either directly suffering from a major CVD or are linked to it in some way; therefore, World Heart Day is organized throughout the world and CVD community actively participate to spread the message. World Heart Day is organized by The World Heart Foundation on 29 September every year. It’s the world’s biggest platform to raise awareness about CVD including strokes. The primary purpose of the campaign is to create a global community that can work to create awareness about heart-related health problems. The World Heart Federation estimated that nearly 80% of all the premature deaths around the world are caused due to heart diseases. However, it can be easily controlled by limiting four factors- Unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and excessive usage of alcohol and tobacco. These, in turn, elevate the glucose levels in the body along with raised blood pressure which eventually leads to obesity and devastating effects on heart health. The World Heart Day campaign was initiated in 2000 and since then, various governmental and private organization including many International NGO’s have worked tirelessly to make the general public more conscious and aware. How do we celebrate World Heart Day? As the primary purpose of celebrating heart day is to increase the awareness regarding heart health in common public, therefore, an array of events and activities are organized. Government and NGOs promote World Health Day by conducting activities promoting heart health. With the recent takeover of social media apps, method of sharing awareness has also been innovatively transformed. Tweets, hashtags and Instagram posts rapidly share the significance of the day to a wider audience. World Heart Day as an event is organized by The World Health Organization in over 100 countries. The campaign motivates audience for a better self-care and significance of a healthy living and healthy lifestyle. Free heart check-up camps, walks, science exhibitions, fitness sessions, screening exhibitions and more. These programs and events are conducted mutually with organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO). Themes of the World Heart day The World heart day is being celebrated annually on 29th of September, since the last 19 years and every year it is based upon a specific theme. The theme helps in creating a wider awareness in people and show the uniformity in the CVD community. All the themes are below year wise:
- 2018 ‘My Heart, Your Heart’
- 2017 “share the power”
- 2016 “Light Your Heart, Empower Your Life”.
- 2015 “creating heart-healthy environments”.
- 2014 “Heart Choices NOT Hard Choices”.
- 2013 “Take the road to a healthy heart”.
- 2012 “One World, One Heart, One Home”.
- 2011 “One World, One Heart, One Home”.
- 2009, 2010 “I Work with Heart”.
- 2008 “Know your Risk”.
- 2007 “Team Up for Healthy Hearts!”
- 2006 “How Young is Your Heart?”
- 2005 “Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape”.
- 2004 “Children, Adolescents and Heart Disease”
- 2003 “Women, Heart Disease and Stroke”.
- The 2002 “What Shape are you in?”.
- 2001 “A Heart for Life”.
- 2000 “I Love my Heart: Let it beat!”
World Heart Day Theme 2019 According to world heart federation, “this year on World Heart Day, we’re asking you to be a Heart Hero by making a promise … a promise to make a simple change for your heart health. Why celebrate World Heart Day? This International campaign aims to inspire people to take crucial steps for a healthy heart. Some of the major symptoms that may cause a detrimental effect on your heart or your loved ones include excessive usage of tobacco, regular smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, inadequate intake of fruits and vegetable and abundant usage of alcohol and fizzy drinks. So this day is celebrated every year to spread the proper information about the CVD symptoms. The World Health day inspires the CVD community to gain the knowledge passing suitable cardiac examinations and making the necessary decision for better heart health. The day is perfect for people to build up new habits and ending those which are detrimental for a healthy heart. World Heart Day makes people realize their bad habits. This helps them become more conscious about adapting a healthy habit to participate in daily physical activity, eat healthily. How to take care of your heart? Our hearts and the hearts of our loved ones are most precious to us and taking proper care of it is essential to have a quality life. It is very necessary to take care of your heart by adapting to a healthy lifestyle, periodic medical checkups of your body, monitoring the glucose level and consulting a heart doctor if there are symptoms. Also, you must get physical! – You must take a walk or jog for at least 15 minutes each day to keep your heart healthy. A healthy heart lies in with controlled cholesterol; therefore foods which elevate cholesterol levels in the body such as fast food must be avoided. Lastly, Water! – Water is just as important as other factors to maintain good heart health. With adequate physical exercise and a healthy diet, your heart would keep working healthier for your body. World Heart Day is an important day that is organized to help people change their lifestyle and live with a healthier heart. The main purpose of this day is to reduce the number of deaths caused by heart failure. It is indeed the most important day that can inspire and transform the ways of our everyday life. Everyone is encouraged to commemorate this day and become part of the Heart Heroes campaign.