BREAKTHROUGH INITIATIVE BY WORLD HEART FEDERATION STARTS BY MAPPING HEART HEALTH OF CARIBBEAN ISLANDERS
BREAKTHROUGH INITIATIVE BY WORLD HEART FEDERATION STARTS BY MAPPING HEART HEALTH OF CARIBBEAN ISLANDERS
2-6 September 2006, World Congress of Cardiology, Barcelona - The World Heart Federation, a
nongovernmental organisation dedicated to the global prevention of heart disease and stroke, is mapping the health of the entire community of islanders to determine the specific risk factors that lead to heart disease in the population of the tri-island Caribbean State of Grenada. The aim is to create specific community-prevention programmes that address diets and patterns of physical activity, tobacco use, and put in place strong community-based educational programmes. This breakthrough initiative will also be taken as a model for other developing countries. Now in the second of a five year programme, the Grenada Heart Project is a study of the major cardiovascular disease risk factors in adults and children. The process includes community assessment followed by individual survey. The survey incorporates the World Health Organization’s recommended surveillance standards modified for Grenada, and includes risk factor assessment through measurements for blood pressure, blood
screening, weight and body mass index. “We have completed two islands, Petit Martinique, and Carriacou. We have total involvement of these communities and the support of the Minister of Health. Based on the survey data, we will work with the local people to develop sustainable and effective community prevention programmes,” said Dr Thomas Pearson, co-investigator and scientific director of surveillance.
“With this study the World Heart Federation has stepped into an area of investigation which shows that health trends have changed drastically in the developing world,” said Dr Valentin Fuster, president of the World Heart Federation and principal investigator of the Grenada Heart Project.
“A vivid example of this shift can be seen in this Caribbean island state where, because of lifestyle changes, cardiovascular disease is quickly become the leading cause of death and disability. Because this transition is occurring rapidly due to urbanisation, health initiatives dealing with cardiovascular disease are urgently needed.
Grenada presents a unique opportunity to develop policy and community initiatives that can prevent the burden which cardiovascular disease places on its people and its health care resources,” said Dr Fuster.
The World Heart Federation started the Grenada Heart Project in 2005 together with the support of the
Grenada Ministry of Health and the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine of the University of Rochester, New York, USA. Before the start of the project, a pre-survey called a Rapid Assessment Procedure (RAP) was conducted on the islands of Petit Martinique and Carriacou to identify practices and attitudes of the local community towards heart disease, its risks and prevention. The RAP was also a means of introducing the initiative to the local population.
After the pre-assessment phase, researchers from the University of Rochester carried out the full survey in the smaller islands of Petit Martinique and Carriacou. The results of the survey conducted on adults over the age of 20 was analysed and added to the survey database. Next year the researchers will roll out the survey to include a sample of the population of Grenada. The last years of the study will focus on the analysis of cardiovascular disease risk factors among children in these regions.
The Grenada Heart Project is financed through the donations of Pfizer Foundation, Pfizer Inc. and
GlaxoSmithKline.
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About the World Heart Federation
The World Heart Federation, a nongovernmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, is committed to helping the global population achieve a longer and better life through prevention and control of heart disease and stroke, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries. It is comprised of 189 member societies of cardiology and heart foundations from more than 100 countries covering the regions of Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas and Africa.
To find out more about The World Heart Federation visit www.worldheart.com.
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