Health trends

Reducing salt, preventing stroke

The National Health Fund (NHF) has organised several activities which will bring attention to the need for Jamaicans to reduce their use of salt, during Salt Awareness Week, March 25-31. The international theme this year is 'Reducing salt; Preventing stroke'.

Among the activities planned to raise awareness of the excess use of salt and its impact on the body are Flash Mobs also known as Smart Mobs, which are one of the latest attention-grabbing promotional techniques. NHF Flash Mobs are scheduled for locations across the Kingston metropolitan area.

Staff members at NHF and JAMFIT cheerleaders who will be mob participants have been practising their dance movements for the past two weeks and should be ready for their 'big reveal' this Saturday on the streets of the metropolis. The Flash Mob performance will be a prelude to the distribution of promotional items and brochures providing information on the harmful effects of excess salt and ways to reduce salt in the diet.

Awareness

There will also be another activity on Wednesday, March 28, this time in the form of an organised 'protest/demonstration' in the vicinity of the Half-Way Tree clock, which is aimed at bringing attention to the illnesses associated with the excess use of salt. This organised 'protest' will commence at 7:30 a.m. and will last for approximately 30 minutes.

Throughout the week, between the hours of 10 a.m.-3 p.m., the Heart Foundation of Jamaica will be conducting blood pressure tests for customers visiting the NHF Customer Care Department in New Kingston.

Source: The National Health Fund