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WHRW 2011 - Events Highlights

Ireland

Putting Pulse into Practice in Cork, Ireland!

Dr. Ben Glover and his team had an information stand in the main foyer of the Bon Secours Hospital Cork for World Heart Rhythm Week! The hospital also organised an open evening for General Practices in and around Cork, 38 GP’s attended the event.

Photo from L to R - Ellmary Quinlan (Nurse Tutor) Anne Dowling (Cardiac Nurse) Br. Ben Glover Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist and Mary Connor (Cardiac Nurse)

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) participated in the ‘globally’ celebrated WHRW by raising awareness among their healthcare professionals in key hospitals & clinics across KSA. Medtronic in collaboration with Saudi Heart Rhythm Society printed 150 WHRW A3 adapted posters with the logo of the Saudi Heart Rhythm Society which were distributed to all key hospitals and clinics across KSA. They also produced heart shaped pins as giveaways for all healthcare professionals.
The twelve hospitals and clinics which took part in this campaign were from the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Dammam and Dharan, just to name a few.

The feedback from healthcare professionals was that they appreciated enrolling KSA in the WHRW ’11 campaign and they are very much looking forward to next year where they will be conducting more activities that will involve patients in raising awareness and reaching a larger audience.

The Saudi Heart Rhythm Society and Arrhythmia Alliance are currently looking at ways of a possible collaboration.

India

All eleven 'Apollo' Hospitals in India’s cities of Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, just to name a few observed the WHRW 2011. Apollo’s renowned cardiologist & electrophysiologist, Dr. Karthigesan gave free consultations and pulse checks from 10am to 8pm, the entire week. Apollo’s Heart Rhythm week did not only concentrate on creating awareness by free consultations but also aimed to build confidence in the affected on the treatments available to curb the disease.

The Madras Medical Mission in India’s Chennai conducted screenings, walkathons and consultations. A public lecture was made on arrhythmias by eminent cardiologists and a 2km walkathon from Marina. Electrophysiologists in India are saying that at least 50.000 Chennaiities may have undiagnosed arrhythmias!

A-A is in the process of strengthening our relationship with India to help increase awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and other heart rhythm disorders.

Argentina

Healthy Walk - 3KM -

On Saturday June 11th took place the Healthy Walk in the city of San Nicolas, organised by Arrhythmia Alliance - Argentina, the Rotary Club San Nicolas and Pupi Foundation. Involving about 40 people, including children and low-income adults, who assist at the popular dining house where they have breakfasts and lunch, in Astul Urquiaga neighborhood and spread to the neighborhood Somisa (round trip), over 3 km in the city of San Nicolas.

Australia

The Wesley Hospital organised a ‘Know your Pulse’ awareness campaign at the hospital for all their hospital staff in catering and cleaning and the general public.

Highlights from WHRW 2010:

Last year, more than 300 international organisations supported the annual Arrhythmia Alliance event and highlights include:

European survey on public perception and use of pulse checks
Online and i-phone application guiding users on how to take their pulse
International media coverage for the ‘Know Your Pulse’ campaign and supporters' activities
Lucas Radebe led a world record in the number of people taking their pulse at any one time.

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).

Click here to view video

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.