全国心脏周/世界心脏日2017

In commemoration of the National Heart Week/World Heart Day (WHD) 2017, the Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) organised an engaging and fun-filled event at Bedok Town Square on the 30 Sep 2017. Themed ‘Share the Power’, the event aimed to bring together and educate Singaporeans on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and show them how small lifestyle changes can effect a powerful difference in our heart health. Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Grassroots Adviser to East Coast GRC Grassroots Organisations, graced the event as the Guest of Honour.

At the session, Mr Lee launched SHF’s Power to Save A Life game, the first game in Singapore where participants can experience hands-only CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to the beat of pop classics such as Staying Alive by the Bee Gees and Can’t Stop The Feeling by Justin Timberlake. The game was conceptualised by SHF and developed by students from Nanyang Polytechnic. In this one-minute game, participants are to achieve the ideal CPR rate of 100 to 120 chest compressions per minute at a depth of 4 to 6cm. Through this game, SHF hopes to lower the mental barriers associated with performing CPR, empower the public with the confidence to perform CPR, and increase the bystander response rate in Singapore.

Go Red for World Heart Day

As a member of the World Heart Federation (WHF), Singapore supported the global movement of illuminating iconic buildings and landmarks in red from 29 Sep to 1 Oct 2017. Light up locations included the Helix Bridge, Singapore Flyer, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Maybank Tower, Millenia Tower, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre and Suntec City.

Across the globe, famous monuments such as the Table Mountain in South Africa, Jet d’Eau in Geneva, Sky Tower in New Zealand and the Gate of the Orient in China also joined in to create powerful visual symbols in the fight against premature mortality caused by cardiovascular disease, the world’s #1 killer.

Other Activities

At the event, 2,200 participants were treated to a series of educational and family-friendly activities. Pre-registered participants underwent basic cardiac risk assessment screenings to understand their health status better, and took part in the Build Your Poké Bowl workshop to whip up a healthy Poké Bowl and a fruit salad. A CPR+ AED certification course was also conducted to impart the essential lifesaving skills to laypersons. To reinforce the importance of regular exercise, the participants got their heart rates pumping while doing the complimentary chair aerobics and Zumba workouts.

Other highlights at the event include heart health educational games, Save-A-Life roadshow, quizzes and interactive stage programmes, and an interactive live cooking demonstration by Celebrity Chefs Martin Yeo and Melvyn Lee, who whipped up easy-to-make heart-healthy dishes.

A big thank you to all our National Heart Week/World Heart Day 2017 sponsors, partners, volunteers and the 2,200 of you who turned up for the event. See you again next year!