MoHAP marks World Heart Day with awareness event at RTA

• The event aims to promote community awareness about cardiovascular disease prevention.
• Gathering underscores heart disease risk factors and the imperative of routine medical check-ups.
• Initiative inspires employees to embrace practices enhancing heart safety and well-being.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has organized an awareness event at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai in commemoration of World Heart Day, observed annually on September 29. The event, staged by MoHAP’s Public Health and Prevention Department-Noncommunicable Diseases Section, aimed to promote heart health awareness amongst RTA’s staff, shed light on risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases, and emphasise the importance of regular medical examinations.

The awareness event featured an informative lecture providing an in-depth overview of cardiovascular diseases, their causative factors, and the impact they have on individuals’ quality of life. The lecture outlined preventive measures, including adhering to a healthy, low-salt diet, engaging in regular exercise and sports activities, and maintaining a healthy weight.

In addition to the lecture, the event offered various medical screenings for the employees. These health checks included blood pressure measurements, body mass and cholesterol checks, and risk assessments for cardiovascular diseases for individuals aged 40 and above. The attendees also received a series of awareness and guidance messages, urging them to adopt practices that support heart health.

Dr Buthaina Bin Belaila Head of Non-Communicable Disease and Mental Health Section at MoHAP, stated: “Organizing health awareness initiatives is crucial to the Ministry’s efforts being made to enhance community health, prevent diseases, and improve the quality of life. World Heart Day provides an ideal platform to increase public awareness about the importance of heart health, educate individuals about risk factors, and promote medical check-ups that encourage a healthy lifestyle.”

Dr. Buthaina further called upon all individuals to engage in heart-healthy practices, emphasizing the importance of proper nutrition, physical activity, obesity reduction, and quitting smoking. She highlighted the necessity of periodic medical check-ups, which collectively contribute to preventing the spread of cardiovascular diseases and improving the nation’s health indicators in alignment with the government’s strategic and sustainable development objectives.