Last October, the Afghanistan NCD Alliance celebrated World Heart Day by organizing a series of events attended by representatives of the Ministry of Public Health, NCD Department, National Cancer Control Program, as well as the Save the Hearts organization for Afghan peoples, Al-Hayat Hospital and media. The project received support from the World Heart Federation through the World Heart Grants Programme.
The events kicked off with a conference where government officials, NGO representatives, cardiologists, medical students, patients and their family members learned about the importance of raising awareness about heart health and mobilizing cross-sector collaborations to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Afghanistan. Informative materials about CVD risk factors and the benefits of adapting a healthy lifestyle were distributed to all participants, as well as in schools and universities. Furthermore, the events were covered by national media channels which delivered the World Heart Day messages.
