11-day heart camp
11-day heart camp was organized on the occassion of World Heart Day in September 2014 in Kathmandu,Nepal. The event served over 5,500 individuals, aiming to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases while also conducting research.[1][2]
Background
[edit]The free heart camp was held from September 13 to 23, provided free heart check-ups to over 5,500 people, making it one the largest heart camps. The camp provided general health assessments, blood sugar and cholesterol tests, medical counseling, and heart health education. In addition to offering these services, the camp facilitated a research study focused on identifying the causes of heart disease within the population. The findings from the study were released on September 29 of the same year, World Heart Day, with the goal of educating the public and raising awareness about cardiovascular risks.[3]
Publications and awards
[edit]This heart camp carried significance due to combination of a larger number of participants getting free heart care, awareness campaign, along with data collection for a research on heart disease, the major cause of death in Lower and middle income countries.[4]
The results of the study were published in the Journal of Nepal Health Research Council (JNHRC), and in 2018, the research was recognized with the "Best Research Paper" award by Nepal’s then Health Minister, Upendra Yadav, during the 5th National summit of Health and population scientists of Nepal.[5][6]
Research findings
[edit]Among 5,530 individuals 59.6% were male. Study was mainly done on youth population of Kathmandu with average age of 38 years. The prevalence of tobacco and alcohol consumption was 29.3% and 32.7%, respectively. Inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables was reported by 75.4% of participants, low physical activity by 61.1%, and 41.3% were either overweight or obese. Additionally, 26.4% had hypertension, 5.3% had diabetes, and 86.9% had dyslipidemia. The findings of the research was published in a PubMed-indexed journal, offered key insights into cardiovascular health risks within the Nepalese youth population.[7]
This research was funded and conducted by the private sector, without government or institutional grants. The 2014 heart camp and the accompanying study marked a significant step in raising cardiovascular health awareness in Nepal. Similar initiatives are being carried out in other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), demonstrating the potential impact of free heart health services on improving public health outcomes.[8][9]
References
[edit]- ^ "A Decade Of Heart Health Camp". GorakhaPatra. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ "11-day heart camp begins". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
- ^ "Cardiovascular disease survey to be held in Nepal". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
- ^ "बिर्सनै नसक्ने त्यो '११ दिन'". News of Nepal. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
- ^ 5th National summit of Health and population scientists of Nepal (PDF).
- ^ "४० वर्षभन्दा कम उमेरका एक चौथाइमा उच्च रक्तचाप". ekantipur.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2024-09-21.
- ^ Anil, Om Murti; Yadav, Randhir Sagar; Shrestha, Nitesh; Koirala, Sachit; Shrestha, Shumneva; Nikhil, Om Murti; Baidar, Manisha; Chaudhary, Nabin; Jaishwal, Chandni; Yadav, Navin Sagar; Mahara, Aabhushan Bikram; Jha, Roshan Kumar; Poudyal, Amod Kumar (2019-01-28). "Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Apparently Healthy Urban Adult Population of Kathmandu". Journal of Nepal Health Research Council. 16 (41): 438–445. ISSN 1999-6217. PMID 30739937.
- ^ Mocumbi, Ana Olga (2024-02-20). "Cardiovascular Health Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries". Circulation. 149 (8): 557–559. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.065717. ISSN 0009-7322.
- ^ "Cardiovascular diseases". www.who.int. Retrieved 2024-09-21.