It was an honor for Ogweno Stephen who opened the conversation at the world heart summit 2021 which was held in Mombasa County. Ogweno who was part of the opening plenary emphasized a lot on the role of youth and actionable recommendations in fighting the obesity and cardiovascular health burden that continues to be on the rise in many African countries. Joined by some of the leading experts like Dr Gitahi of Amref and the CEO of the World Health Summit, this opening plenary highlighted the critical epidemiological and policy-based events that have led to and contributed to the rise of cardiovascular health and obesity in Africa.
here were my 3 key messages and takeaways
- Leverage on the power of young people and innovation in the fight on obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
- 2.Research and best practices are critical evidence to help us as health advocates champion for policy change and adjustment in the obesity and cardiovascular health space
- We cannot do it alone, we need partnerships. Local, national, multinational, youth-led, patient -led, NGO and from all other manner of organizations. We need to leverage of various levels of partnerships to be able to reverse obesity
Overall key messages for the first plenary was this.
We need action and we need it now on policy, partnerships and behavior change programs. We all have a role and it starts with eating healthy and engaging in physical activity
ABOUT THE WORLD HEART SUMMIT
At its events, the World Heart Federation enables focused conversations leading to innovations and decisions, which will change the lives of patients, health providers, and every single one of us.Running since 2016, the annual World Heart Summit (previously the Global Summit for Circulatory Health) convenes leaders and innovators who drive action for cardiovascular health. The Summit is an invitation-only event where government, civil society, industry, and academia share, learn and decide what is next for the prevention and control of cardiovascular disease at a global level.
Previous editions have explored key issues such as access to essential medicines, innovations in technology, and the role of the workforce in cardiovascular health.
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STEPHEN OGWENO 