Heart Foundation encourages Kiwis to make a promise

Media Release

28 September 2018

Heart Foundation encourages Kiwis to make a promise for heart health on World Heart Day

The Heart Foundation in New Zealand will be the first to light a landmark for World Heart Day this Saturday, 29 September, as they ask the people of New Zealand to make a promise for their individual heart health. The Sky Tower will pulsate red to also raise awareness for New Zealand’s single biggest killer, heart disease.

In its 50th year, the Heart Foundation is encouraging the people of New Zealand to make a promise… to eat healthy meals, to be more active, to say no to smoking.

Heart Foundation Medical Director, Gerry Devlin, is encouraging all Kiwis to make individual promises for the benefit of their heart health.

“We lose 6,000 Kiwis each year to heart disease. By making a simple promise to persevere with small changes to both diet and physical activity, we can reduce our risk of heart disease,” Devlin says.

The Heart Foundation is New Zealand’s leading independent funder of heart research, and since it began 50 years ago, there has been a 75% reduction in the death rate from heart disease. As it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018, the Heart Foundation recently announced $4.3 million into heart research and a new funding milestone reached, but acknowledged the importance of continuing the funding of heart research.

“With more than 186,000 people in New Zealand currently living with heart disease, it’s vital to continue funding heart research. That’s why the recently announced Heart Foundation heart research funding milestone of $70 million into life-saving heart research and specialist training since 1968, is such an amazing investment achievement,” Devlin says.

The lighting of the Sky Tower, will not only ignite healthy promises, it will also pay respect to the 6,000 Kiwis who lose their lives each year to heart disease. This links with other landmarks and cities around the world to mark this important day of awareness.

World Heart Day is driven by the World Heart Federation, based out of Geneva, Switzerland, that works with its global partners to ensure this important awareness day is celebrated in over 120 countries around the world.

- Ends -

© Scoop Media