Adopt healthy lifestyles:Second Lady

The Second Lady, Mrs Matilda Amissah-Arthur, has asked Ghanaians to adopt healthy lifestyles and discontinue habits that affect their health, especially smoking and excessive alcohol intake.

She gave the advice after the Head of the Cardiothoracic Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr Abdul Samid Tanko, had bemoaned the high rate of cardiovascular diseases recorded at the hospital. Mrs Amissah-Arthur urged Ghanaians to eat healthy foods and exercise, at least 15 minutes every day, to keep the heart strong and healthy.

Mrs Amissah-Arthur observed that unhealthy lifestyle’s habits such as smoking, high intake of salt and alcohol exposed a person to heart-related diseases which could result in the sudden loss of life.

She said this after she joined  in a health walk as part of the 2014 World Heart Day celebration in Accra on Saturday.

The walk started from the Independence Square through the Osu Oxford Street, the Police Headquarters, Ridge Circle, the Liberation Road, and ended at the Independence Square.

The World Heart Day celebration was on the theme: “Creating heart-healthy environment wherever you live, work and play”.

After the health walk, health officials from KBTH held a free medical screening for the public.

World Heart Day

The Director of the National Cardiothoracic Centre, Dr Lawrence Siriboe, said the World Heart Day, established in 2000, was aimed at educating the public on how to prevent heart diseases.

He said there was the need for everybody to create a heart-healthy environment at workplaces, homes and schools.

Dr Siriboe said there should also be increasing quality of physical education in schools and childcare facilities, as well as creating and maintaining safe neighbourhoods such as good street lighting and connected sidewalks or playgrounds for physical activity. 

He said workers should demand a smoking ban at their various premises and encourage their employers to provide help to colleagues who want to quit smoking.

Dr Siriboe called on the government to regulate fast-food advertising on radio and television, enact legislation to tax unhealthy foods and support locally produced fruits and vegetables.

He said  the government should enforce regulations on tobacco control and ban its marketing and advertising.