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Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 11 June 2013:  A total of 4,450 women fought the battle to fight heart disease during the region-wide roll out of Majid Al Futtaim Properties’ biggest CSR initiative in the healthcare sector, ‘Go Red for Women’ campaign.  Heart health testings were conducted over three weekends at Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira and Mirdif City Centre in Dubai; Ajman City Centre and Sharjah City Centre in the Northern Emirates; Bahrain City Centre in Bahrain, Muscat City Centre and Qurum City Centre in Oman and Alexandria City Centre and Maadi City Centre in Egypt. 

Medical professionals conducted several tests to check blood pressure, blood sugar, Body Mass Index (BMI), and cholesterol rate in addition to quick health consultations.  ‘Go Red for Women,’ founded by American Heart Association is a global movement against cardiovascular diseases (CVD) – the leading cause of death amongst women. 

According to Dr. Cother Hajat, Associate Professor, Institute of Public Health and Head of CVD Prevention Group of at Emirates Cardiac Society, three times of women die every year because of CVD like they do from breast cancer and 64% of them who died of heart attack didn’t know that they had CVD.

Calling for collaboration of public and private organisations, Dr. Nooshin Bazargani, Consultant Cardiologist, Dubai Hospital, Board Member of the Emirates Cardiac Society and Board Member of the World Heart Federation, said:  “Policy makers have a big role in fighting heart diseases and it would be more effective with the support of private organisations.  Together, let us join forces and take a stand against the number one killer of women today.    One-third of women who screened in our previous initiative back in 2010, had single risk factor of heart disease.  With regular health screenings, we can prevent the disease more and manage its complications better.” 

During the ‘Go Red for Women’ press conference that was held recently, some of the biggest concerns of doctors, who participated in the panel, are the major factors of CVD such as smoking and diabetes.  They stressed on the alarming number of smokers amongst the young generation nowadays - 13% of teenagers in the country are tobacco smokers.  In the UAE, there are 30% more young females (less than 18 years old), who are hooked into this habit than older females (According to Dr. Wedad Al-Maidoor). 

“As a socially-responsible organization, Majid Al Futtaim Properties is committed to giving back to the communities where we have a presence.  Through this initiative, we reiterate the importance of regular heart health screenings as the key preventive measure in battling heart diseases, and we give this to the community for free,” said Hussain Moosa, Associate Director for Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

Last year, more than 685 got tested at City Centre Deira as part of the campaign.  ‘Go Red for Women,’ founded by the American Heart Association in 2004, is supported annually by more than 30 countries worldwide.

For more information on Go Red for Women visit:  http://www.goredforwomen.org/