February Is Heart Month

The Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) is undertaking a series of activities for the month of February, which is being observed as Heart Month under the theme ‘The Weigh to a Healthy Heart’.

The month was officially launched on February 1 at The Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, with the keynote speech delivered by Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton.

Speaking at a JIS Think Tank on Friday (February 11), Director at the HFJ and Clinical Nutritionist at the Caribbean Institute for Health Research at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr. Suzanne Soares-Wynter, said that the 2022 theme was born out of the need to increase public awareness about overweight and obesity as a major risk factor for heart disease, especially hypertension and stroke.

Throughout the month, the Foundation will be focusing on healthy nutrition, especially during the pandemic, as well as screening for early detection of heart disease.

Dr. Soares-Wynter pointed out that screening services are available to the public at the HFJ’s Beechwood Avenue offices, as well as at health centres across the island. Screening will also be done at the Golden Age Home in Vineyard Town on February 15.

The Annual Medical Symposium and the Dr. Knox Hagley Memorial Lecture will be held virtually on Wednesday (February 23) under the theme ‘Cardiac Arrhythmia Made Simple’. Participants are encouraged to register online for the symposium at the HFJ website.

As the HFJ continues to highlight the importance of learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the Foundation will also host Family and Friends CPR Day on February 26 and is inviting interested persons to contact the foundation to register.

“This is very important at this time, especially with… the coronavirus (COVID-19), so we are not just inviting health professionals. You can come in and learn how to do CPR,” the HFJ Director said.

Dr. Soares Wynter said that the HFJ continues to engage the public in various activities geared towards achieving heart health.

“We invite membership to the organisation. We continue with health education and training of health professionals, and we continue to advocate for good health and food policies,” she added.

Heart Month is observed annually during the month of February to promote cardiovascular health and to raise awareness about heart disease.