More than 16,000 people take part in Aster initiative to promote heart health
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Dubai: Aster Volunteers, the global CSR arm of Aster DM Healthcare, has successfully concluded the third edition of ‘Heart2Heart Cares 2023,’ a global CSR initiative which spans across GCC and India aimed at promoting heart health while saving the lives of underprivileged children in need of heart surgery.
The third edition of #Heart2Heart by Aster Volunteers saw the participation with more than 16,600 enthusiastic individuals from India and the GCC region actively contributing to this noble cause. Participants collectively walked, symbolising their commitment to both personal health and the welfare of underprivileged children. Through this effort, the Aster DM Foundation continues its pledge to provide life-saving pediatric cardiac surgeries for 50 underprivileged children.
The initiative, which commenced on World Heart Day, ran for a month. During this period, individuals were encouraged to register online and commit to walking a minimum of 10,000 steps per day. For every 10,000 steps walked by an individual in a day, Rs100 was donated by the Aster DM Foundation, furthering the cause of saving children’s lives.
The Heart2Heart Cares 2023 campaign was not limited to just walking, participants engaged in fitness programmes, including walking 10,000 steps, cycling 10km (in 90 minutes), and burning 400 calories (in 90 minutes) during the month-long Heart2Heart Cares campaign.
Alisha Moopen, Deputy Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, said, “Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of death globally, claiming an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. A significant proportion of these can be prevented or delayed if early intervention like lifestyle management, diet, exercise and proper care is taken by individuals. On the other hand, heart diseases or defects can be congenital in nature i.e present from birth. In India alone, over 200,000 children are estimated to be born with congenital heart disease each year and not all families can afford suitable treatment leading to loss of lives.
“Under Aster Volunteers, we decided to interlink this cause, enabling individuals to take a proactive effort in regaining their fitness and be even more motivated as their effort would help in saving lives. We are overwhelmed by the response that Aster Volunteers ‘Heart2Heart Cares 2023’ initiative received this year with xxxx people registering to support the cause which will now impact the lives of 50 underprivileged children in need of life-saving heart surgery.”
