National Heart Week/World Heart Day 2018

In commemoration of National Heart Week/World Heart Day (NHW/WHD) 2018, Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) organised a full-day event at Toa Payoh HDB Hub Atrium on 29 Sep 2018. The event aimed to create a heart-healthy platform for Singaporeans to get together and engage in fun-filled and interactive activities that are good for the heart. Through this, SHF hopes to continue to raise awareness on the risks of cardiovascular disease and the simple lifestyle changes that Singaporeans can adopt for better heart health. Mr Amrin Amin, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and Health graced the event as Guest of Honour.

Launch of Asia’s first CPR self-learning kiosk in Singapore

During the event, SHF and the Singapore Resuscitation and First Aid Council launched the first CPR self-learning kiosk in Asia, bringing hands-only CPR training opportunities to members of the public. This was also in line with the celebration of World Restart A Heart Day on 16 Oct 2018 – a global initiative to increase cardiac arrest awareness and bystander CPR rates nationwide.

With the belief that everyone has the ability to save a life, the CPR kiosk aims to raise awareness of this important lifesaving skill and encourage more people to sign up for certification courses in CPR and AED skills. The kiosks can be found at various public locations, such as shopping malls, cinemas, hospitals and schools around Singapore.

SHF Heart Health Survey 2018

SHF surveyed 1,000 Singaporeans between the ages of 21 to 75 years to understand their knowledge and awareness of cardiovascular disease and heart health. Some key findings from the survey were unveiled at the launch. These included:

• 8 out of 10 Singaporeans have a good knowledge of heart disease, yet close to half (48%) do not have enough exercise, mainly because they are unwilling to change their current lifestyle or believe that they are not at risk of heart disease.
• 1 out of 3 Singaporeans does not participate in physical activity or exercise outside of their regular job.
• 6 out of 10 Singaporeans face the risk of being overweight/obese, i.e. their body mass index (BMI) is in the unhealthy range, putting them at higher risk of heart disease and other health problems. Those aged 45-64 years old had the highest BMI compared to the other age brackets.
• Despite diabetes being one of the key factors leading to heart problems, the survey showed that only 37% of Singaporeans could identify it as a heart disease risk factor.

‘For Your Sweetheart Singapore’ campaign

About 1 in 2 heart attack victims in Singapore have diabetes. To raise awareness about the critical link between diabetes and heart disease, NHW/WHD 2018 marked the launch of the ‘For Your Sweetheart Singapore’ campaign. A joint initiative by SHF, Diabetes Singapore and Boehringer Ingelheim, the campaign aims to encourage people with diabetes to know their risks and speak to their doctors about it. Ambassadors of the campaign, Left Profile artiste Michelle Chong and her father Papa Chong, made a special appearance at the event to share more about the campaign and their personal stories.

Red Light Up for NHW/WHD 2018

From 28 to 30 Sep, Singapore supported the global movement of illuminating iconic buildings and landmarks in red. Red symbolises the colour of health, life and vibrancy – but it can also serve as a warning and a red alert, to beware of the red flags, i.e. the warning signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease.

This year, 9 locations lit up, including the Singapore Flyer, Maybank Tower, Millenia Tower, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre and Suntec City, Marina Square, OCBC Centre, Helix Bridge, Cavenagh Bridge and Ocean Financial Centre. We would like to sincerely thank all our partners that joined us in raising awareness of Singapore’s #1 killer.

Other Activities

At the event, 3,000 participants were treated to a line-up of informative and engaging activities. Pre-registered participants underwent a CPR and AED certification course to learn the important lifesaving skills that will come into use during cases of cardiac arrests. To reinforce the importance of regular exercise, Chair and Pound workout sessions were also conducted.

Other highlights included health checks (HbA1c, BMI and BP checks), heart-healthy themed educational games, the Save-A-Life roadshow, exhibition booths, quizzes and interactive stage programmes. There was also a live cooking demonstration by Celebrity Chef Martin Yeo, where he whipped up a healthier version of Curry Chicken with Basmati Brown Rice for the audience.

A big thank you to all our National Heart Week/World Heart Day 2018 sponsors, partners, volunteers and the 3,000 of you who turned up for the event. See you again next year!