Heart-to-Heart Giving: The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa’s fund-raising drive during Valentine’s Month

 Heart-to-Heart Giving: The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa’s fund-raising drive during Valentine’s Month

By Thomas Cedrick

The Heart and Stroke Foundation SA (HSFSA) is committed to its mission which is to reduce heart disease, strokes and the associated risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, raised cholesterol, air pollution and other behavioural risk factors which include tobacco smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Every year our fund-raising drive is launched in February as a symbolic heart gesture during Valentines Month. The Foundation, a health non-profit, is reliant on donor funding, partners and collaborators to assist us in reducing the burden of cardiac conditions and strokes through the programmes we run which is primarily targeted at communities who have limited access to health services and/or health education. On Valentines Day, 14 February, we will host numerous activations around the country.

Our CEO, Prof Pamela Naidoo, encourages the public and organizations alike to be a part of our advocacy and mobilization to ensure that fewer individuals are affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD). She emphasizes that the value that the HSFSA brings is to create public awareness with impact, which ultimately results in positive health outcomes as our focus is largely on the major risk factors for circulatory conditions. Our many outreach activities include school-based programmes, public spaces such as major and minor shopping malls, and of course, public and private enterprises. Our Health Promotion and Disease Prevention activities are weaved through each of our events and broader campaigns through social media and traditional media platforms.

Funds raised during Valentines Month will go towards enhancing and expanding the HSFSA’s existing programmes. Our implementation teams include the Health Promotion and Health Risk Assessment Team, Nutrition Team and cross-cutting teams who engage in community-based events and partnership events.

Prof Naidoo, the Foundation’s CEO makes the point that ‘Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular conditions (CVD), are the leading causes of death and disability within the non-communicable disease cluster in South Africa and accounts for almost one (1) in six (6) deaths, claiming more lives than that of all cancers combined. However, 70% to 80% of heart disease and strokes can be prevented through the uptake of healthy behavioural choices. The Foundation’s Heart Mark Endorsement Programme which guides the consumer to make healthy food choices may be considered a key behaviour change target as a balanced diet with good nutrition which includes micro-& macro nutrients is scientifically recognized to reduce not only CVD but non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in general. You may learn more about our Heart Mark Endorsement Programme and our trademark, Heart Mark Logo, by accessing our website on www.heartfoundation.co.za.

As a non- profit health organization, the HSFSA relies on donor funding to meet its sustainability needs in order to continue the work for many decades to come and to reach new frontiers through our invaluable work guided by our real-time data. You can make a difference and show your healthy-heart-love to those around you by donating at: https://www.heartfoundation.co.za/donate/