At 25, Nigeria Heart Foundation celebrates mile stones
The Nigeria Heart Foundation (NHF) a non-governmental organisation promoting heart health, scientific research in cardiovascular health, healthy lifestyles and advocacy on heart issues celebrates mile stones as it turns 25 years old.
The event which took place on 23 October, in Lagos, also to celebrate the 85th birthday anniversary of the foundation’s past president Oladipo Akinkugbe to be held on 29 October.
“The foundation is a national charity inaugurated in July 1992 and is an affiliate of World Heart Federation, Geneva and a founding member of the African Heart Network,” Olufemi Mobolaji-Lawal chairman, executive council NHF said.
According to Mobolaji-Lawal, several research programmes have been conducted in the country in the last 25 years in collaboration with experts in cardiovascular health from Nigerian Universities and international organisations especially the World Health Organization, World Heart Federation, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), NCD Alliance Nigeria, International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, Active Healthy Kids, Choices International Foundation.
He said that the foundation has partnerships with the Federal Ministry of Health and Regulatory Agencies especially the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and Nutrition Council of Nigeria.
Mobolaji-Lawal also emphasised that the NHF has also contributed in the promotion of awareness in cardiovascular health, tobacco – World No Tobacco Day, physical activity, engagement with schools and nutrition – Nigerian Heart Foundation Heart Mark Food Labelling Programme.
Mobolaji-Lawal further spoke on the th85th Birthday Anniversary of the immediate past president, he said the occasion will be celebrated with a lecture in his honour under the chairmanship of Christopher Kolade, while the Keynote lecturer is Eldryd Parry, KCMG, who would be speaking on “Africa’s Cardiovascular Disease; looking back and looking forward.” and distinguished service awards will be presented to past presidents of Nigerian Heart Foundation.
Also speaking, Kingsley Akinroye, cardiovascular health physician and executive director at NHF said it is a very great opportunity to celebrate this 25th anniversary.
“Nigeria Heart Foundation is also proud to have given back to fifteen African countries by spreading out help on how people can make their heart healthy and how heart disease needs to be prevented and reduced.”
“Believing in the strength of the foundation, we still need to do more on creating awareness of heart disease because it has past the stage of medicine alone. We are hoping that in fifty years’ time, Nigeria will be like the British, America heart foundations,” Akinroye, said.
ANTHONIA OBOKOH