WORLD HEART FEDERATION TO SPONSOR GLOBAL YOUTH MEETING ON HEALTH IN INDIA
WORLD HEART FEDERATION TO SPONSOR GLOBAL YOUTH MEETING ON HEALTH IN INDIA
2-6 September 2006, World Congress of Cardiology, Barcelona – The World Heart Federation will be a sponsor of the Global Youth Meeting on Health 14 to 19 November in New Delhi, India. In addition, it is working with its donors and member organizations to recruit and underwrite the travel costs of delegations from Argentina, Colombia, Georgia, Mexico, South Africa and Uruguay.
The Global Youth Meeting on Health will gather approximately 200 youth delegates from 25 countries with developing economies and 15 with developed economies. The ultimate goal is to create a global network of youth volunteers who would promote healthy behaviours to other youths and influence governmental health policies.
Among the topics to be discussed will be the risk factors leading to cardiovascular disease, which last year killed 17.5 million people, 80% of them in low- and middle-income countries.1
The youths will learn about healthy diets, physical activity and staying away from tobacco smoke as means of avoiding cardiovascular and other diseases. Other topics will include addictive substances other than tobacco, the various determinants of health, protection of the environment, healthy gender relations, stress management and promotion of peace as a global good.
The youths will meet health promotion and advocacy experts and celebrity role models. Activities will include debates and discussions, street plays, training in media advocacy skills, skill building workshops, slogan writing competitions, health games and drafting advocacy documents.
“The best way to avoid cardiovascular disease in adulthood is to adopt healthy lifestyle habits in childhood,” said World Heart Federation Chief Executive Officer Janet Voûte. “For example, we know that overweight and obese children are three to five times more likely than normal-weight children to suffer a heart attack or stroke before age 65.2 The Global Youth Meeting on Health will help us to spread the message that balanced and nutritious diets, regular exercise and resisting the pressure to start smoking can help people to lead longer, healthier and more productive lives.”
Each of the delegations will comprise four youths and one adult chaperon, who will be expected to guide the youth’s discussions and help to organize their health promotion activities upon their return to their home countries.
Later, the World Heart Federation intends to organize a Latin American youth meeting on health with the aim of creating a youth health network for the region.
The Global Youth Meeting on Health is being organized by the Health Related Information Dissemination
Amongst Youth – Student Health Action Network, also called HRIDAY-SHAN. The India-based organization promotes sustainable channels for youth advocacy to influence parents and the community to adopt healthy lifestyles. In 2002, it received the World Health Organization director general’s award for its contribution to tobacco control in India. Its web site is www.hriday-shan.org.
1 World Health Organization, Preventing Chronic Diseases: a vital investment, 2005.
2 Circulation 2004; 109: April 5.
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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 comprises 189 member societies of cardiology and heart foundations from more than 100 countries covering the regions of Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas and Africa.
For further information visit: www.worldheart.org
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