Tuesday 12 / November / 2024
Muscat: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), cardiovascular disease affects more than 17.5 million people each year, representing 31 percent of all global deaths — a number almost equivalent to the entire population of Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar combined.
City Centre Muscat, Al Mouj Muscat and City Centre Qurum, Majid Al Futtaim’s leading lifestyle destinations in the Sultanate, are hosting the annual ‘Feel the Beat’ health awareness campaign in partnership with Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and Sobeh Medical Centre.
Now in its third year, the initiative aims to raise awareness about cardiovascular health, with a special focus on women in the Sultanate. City Centre Muscat, Al Mouj Muscat and City Centre Qurum will have allocated areas to host medical professionals who will administer complimentary heart health tests and conduct check-ups for women. At each designated location, visitors will be able to check their blood pressure, blood sugar and Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine if they are at risk of heart diseases and if they would require a follow-up consultation for further analysis.
The destinations invite residents and tourists to take their complimentary heart health tests in September and October. Medical experts will be at Al Mouj Muscat, the Walk, on September 29 -30, City Centre Muscat on October 5 - 6 and City Centre Qurum on October 13 - 14 to administer these tests.
Cardiovascular diseases and stroke are the cause of one in three deaths among women each year. That is one death every 80 seconds. Commonly reported risk factors for cardiovascular disease include obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and hypertension.
In Oman, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for approximately 68 percent of total deaths. CVDs account for 33 percent of these deaths. This could be attributed to the changing lifestyles of Omanis and hence greater susceptibility to cardiovascular risk factors.
“Prevention by adopting a healthy lifestyle is the key to reducing the incidence of CVDs in Oman. We are incredibly proud to once again host ‘Feel the Beat’ health initiative,” said Watfa Humaid Al Harthy, Senior Mall Manager, City Centre Qurum.
“We strongly support this initiative to increase awareness of cardiovascular disease, which is a very disabling condition. Early detection and management will considerably reduce the risk of developing CVD. We urge everyone to take care of their overall well-being - and take control of our health today."
During the campaign, an exclusive pledging will take place. ‘Sign with your heart’ is a campaign that asks people to pledge to have their hearts checked as often as they need to, signing with a signature that is unique to them – their own heartbeat.
“We encourage our shoppers to lead a healthy lifestyle to avoid the risk of cardiovascular disease. CVD is one of the region’s most serious health concerns – for women and men. Taking care of our overall health will allow us to enjoy quality time with our loved ones. Let us make a commitment to make the health a priority,” said Husam Al Mandhari, Senior Mall manager, City Centre Muscat.
‘Feel the Beat’ is one of Majid Al Futtaim’s social impact programme to enhance people’s lives and is in line with its vision to deliver great moments for everyone, every day. Last year, 10,600 women participated – a 33 percent increase in participation since 2015. In Oman, the campaign successfully closed with more than 1000 women tested.
Women can follow the campaign, learn about cardiovascular disease and pledge to do more for their hearts by visiting the malls’ websites and on social media by using the #signwithyourheart and #FeeltheBeat hashtags.
