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World Heart Rhythm Week (WHRW)
The annual global event organised by Arrhythmia Alliance (A-A) and held in partnership with ICPES (International Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology). The week-long event raises awareness and education of heart rhythm disorders.
Participants may choose to support the week’s highlighted campaign or take the opportunity to promote activities relevant to their mission and objectives.
Hundreds of individuals, affiliates, partners and organisations helped to make this year’s WHRW a truly global event of unprecedented success.
Highlights from WHRW 2010:
- 60+ new supporting organisations
- Launch of a European survey on public perception of pulse checks
- Eucomed joined A-A in raising awareness of cardiac arrhythmias
- PACE South Africa organised a new world record supported by Lucas Radebe
- Launch of the new A-A website
- Australia launched Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA)
- Translation and distribution of literature worldwide from Iran, Argentina, Sweden, Portugal, Germany and Japan
- Launch of online application guiding users on how to take their pulse
- International media coverage for the ‘Know Your Pulse’ campaign and supporters activities. This includes 188 on-line outlets and a number of international sites such as ANP, Yahoo, and AOL, reaching a maximum audience of 61,733,000 people.
Global awareness events e.g. at The Wesley Hospital in Australia, and a meeting with the Minister of Public Health in Buenos Aires.
Countries including Argentina, Iran and Sweden translated and distributed the Pulse Check Card in nationwide campaigns. From Chinese to Persian, this resource is being used across the globe to teach people of the importance of taking their pulse as a way of identifying potential cardiac arrhythmias.
In the UK, Arrhythmia Alliance announced the results of a European survey which showed a large number of respondents ignore basic measures to check for potential heart rhythm disorders. Nearly 40 percent of respondents do not take their pulse regularly, and 70 percent are unaware if they are at risk of a cardiac arrhythmia. In addition, nearly 60 percent of the respondents who have taken their pulse in the past would not know how to take it again.
The ‘Know Your Pulse’ campaign also seeks to raise awareness amongst healthcare professionals of the importance of conducting regular pulse checks during normal patient check-ups so that cardiac arrhythmias are given as much attention as other conditions. Almost 80 percent of survey respondents felt that it is important that healthcare professionals acknowledge this.
A-A Partners launched national campaigns to promote WHRW
Bate Bate Coração – A-A Portugal
Portugal’s national
campaign, ‘Bate bate coracao – sinta o seu ritmo’ translated to ‘Beat beat of your heart – feel the rhythm’ promoted during WHRW was a big success with more than 5000 people taking their pulse at one event with plenty of press coverage across print, TV and radio.
Bate Bate Coração – A-A Portugal in the media
Carlos Morais was recorded on 3 different TV channels.
PACE (Prevent Arrhythmic Cardiac Events) – A-A South Africa
PACE embarked on a ‘Know Your Pulse’ campaign to coincide with the 2010 Soccer World Cup taking place in South Africa.
At a warm up match, PACE led a new world record with the support of Lucas Radebe where 72 000 people in the crowd all took their pulse simultaneously.
Once again PACE distributed literature in the retail pharmacies and in 1000 GP practices around the country.
Pace - A-A South Africa in the media
- Keep your finger on the pulse - Read full article
- Picking Up the PACE, Monitoring the Pulse - Read full article
Pronetac - A-A Argentina
Representatives from Pronetac met with the Minister of Public Health from the city of Buenos Aires to discuss going to poor districts to take ECG´s and teach CPR with the participation of physicians and students from the University of Buenos Aires.
Pronetac had 5 articles in the press, 2 radio interviews, one TV interview and organised CPR courses.
A-A Argentina also had the endorsement of a famous national footballer, Gustavo Barros Schelotto, who was recorded encouraging people to ‘check with your medical professional to get your pulse checked...’, the importance of having medical control and learning to control one’s pulse before practicing sports. The DVD is being shown in every ship trip between Uruguay and Buenos Aires (2 million passengers per year).
A-A Italy
A-A Italy launched a successful media campaign with coverage across Asca, Adnkronos, Yahoo Notizie, Media Address, Euro Investitor, Informazione, Comunicati, Sys – con, Immediapress, otizie Virgilio, Notizia Kataweb, Kompassitalia, Immediapress, Corriere della Sera.
A-A Italy in the media
World Heart Rhythm Week 2011
It is never too early to start. You too can get involved…
A-A would welcome your support for this important week long event. For more information about WHRW 2011 contact Ingrid Pattje at ingrid@heartrhythmcharity.org.uk or call +44 (0)1789 451 830