Sep 27, 2018

The Nile Heart Challenge

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Philips campaign to create awareness around cardiac health and defibrillator use

On World Heart Day (Saturday 29 September 2018), Philips will once again partner with the World Heart Federation (WHF) to raise global awareness of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its associated risks.

In the run-up to this important day in the WHF calendar, Philips has organized heart health activities in countries across the globe. A perfect example can be found in Egypt, where the Philips Foundation, in collaboration with Philips in Egypt and the Egyptian Red Crescent, recently launched a campaign called Back to Rhythm – a multi-stakeholder engagement program that aims to create public awareness around cardiac health in Egypt and increase the survival chances of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) victims.

The World Health Organization estimates that cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for 46% of total deaths in Egypt, making CVDs a major public health concern with significant social and economic implications in terms of healthcare needs, lost productivity and premature death.

Better heart health through public engagement

Raising awareness of the growing incidence of CVD in Egypt, especially SCA, and reinforcing the need for a healthy lifestyle and healthy diet are core components of the Back to Rhythm campaign, which will roll out several new public awareness and education programs in the coming months focused on encouraging healthy eating and adopting a healthy lifestyle. The program will also provide training on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic life support (BLS), and encourage public participation via multiple stationary-bike challenges. If the target of 6,853 stationary-bike kilometres is achieved, the Philips Foundation will fund up to 30 Philips HeartStart automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for public spaces in Cairo. The Egyptian Red Crescent will identify strategic locations across the city where these AEDs could potentially save the most lives.

The world’s largest digital heart

The biking challenges will conclude on Friday, 28 September 2018, with a Guinness World Record attempt. The attempt is to bike 750 kms across the entire country within 48 hours, during which the bikers’ GPS coordinates will take the shape of a heart, starting from and ending at the pyramids.

For more information, visit Philips’ professional cardiology solutions to discover more.