Hundreds of Ghanaians on Saturday participated in a health walk through some principal streets of Accra, to climax the 2019 World Heart Day.
It was led by renowned former Arsenal and Nigeria footballer, Nwankwo Kanu and Director of the National Cardiothoracic Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr Lawrence Serebour.
The 4.8-kilometre walk, started from the KBTH through Lavender Hill to Mamprobi Post Office road and back to the starting points where participants engaged in aerobic exercise.
There was free health screening as well as education on heart and chronic diseases for the participants which included both the young and the aged. Medications were also given free of charge to them.
Themed “Be a heart hero” the walk was organised by the National Cardiothoracic Centre to create awareness on the need for frequent medical check-up.
Addressing the participants, Dr Serebour said more than 17 million people died annually from cardiovascular diseases which included heart and stroke.
He mentioned lack of exercise, excessive smoking, intake of alcohol and frequent consumption of fatty food as how people become victims of heart and chronic diseases.
Dr Serebour cautioned the youth to stop smoking shisha (water pipe or bubble smoking) which had become a common lifestyle in the country.
Shisha smoking contains 36 times more tar than cigarette smoke, 15 times the carbon monoxide, and 70 per cent more nicotine than one cigarette.
Aside from the risk of infection, smoking shisha contains the same cancer-causing chemicals as cigars and cigarettes, they absorb more toxins and cancer-causing chemicals,” he said.
Nwankwo Kanu, who is the founder of Kanu Heart Foundation, urged athletes to visit health centres frequently for medical check-up.
He stressed that,“exercising is good but frequent check-up reveals one’s health status.”
