Today, on 22nd April 2022, big companies such as BookDoc, Nestlé Omega Plus, CARiNG Pharmacy and Pfizer Malaysia have announced the launching of the “Gift Of Love” campaign with aim to address overall heart health concerns in Malaysia.

Early Detection Of Heart Health

The campaign “Gift Of Love” aims to increase access of the general public to basic heart health screening by providing free checks at selected CARiNG pharmacies in Malaysia.

A representative from Nestlé Omega Plus, Ms. Lam Pui Yuee, Business Executive Officer, Milks Business Unit, Nestlé Malaysia said:

Today we are very happy to launch this new collaborative effort which will enable Malaysians to easily undergo basic heart-related screenings and we greatly hope that all Malaysians will take advantage of this great initiative.

Ms. Lam Pui Yuee, Business Executive Officer, Milks Business Unit, Nestlé Malaysia

Meanwhile, the Founder and Chief Executive officer (CEO) of BookDoc, Dato’ Chevy Beh said in his speech this morning,

As the leading digital healthcare solutions provider, BookDoc understands the importance of access to basic healthcare as well as early diseases detection and management, especially during the country’s transition to endemic phase.

Dato’ Chevy Beh, Founder and Chief Executive officer (CEO) Of BookDoc

The “Gift Of Love” campaign also hopes to bring out the importance of early detection and management of heart health, as well as highlighting issues affecting it, including high cholesterol and Atrial Fibrillation (AF).

Heart Diseases – The Main Cause Of Death In Malaysia

High cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease, affects 8 million or 40% of adults in Malaysia, while AF is the most common sustained arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice and has strong associations with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as hypertension and stroke.

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, heart diseases remained as the principal cause of death in Malaysia in 2020, accounting for around 17% of total registered deaths, increasing from 15% in 2019. It is also the main cause of death for those aged between 41 and 59 at 20% and 60 years and above at 18%, and it is the same for al major ethnic groups and both rural as well as urban areas.

In terms of cholesterol, which is a major factor for CVDs , 4 in 10 Malaysian adults are found to have high cholesterol and the majority are not even aware of it.

While AF, this disease is still unknown to many people as there are only a few published studies in developing countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. AF poses major public health risks, as they are strongly associated to CVDs such as stroke.

Ms. Luksanawan Thangpaibool, the Country Manager of Pfizer Malaysian and Brunei said in her speech:

On the other hand, AF may also be detected in a matter of moments by routine medical screening. The importance of these heart health screenings cannot be overstated. With early detection, many people with heart conditions such as AF, go on to live a normal, active life with lifestyle changes, diet management and treatment, where necessary.

Ms. Luksanawan Thangpaibool, the Country Manager of Pfizer Malaysian and Brunei

This stresses the importance of early detection and management of overall heart health. Due to that, this campaign also aims to shed light on AF to the general public and to increase awareness on heart health.

Get Your Free Heart Health Check Now!

The “Gift Of Love” campaign will see interested participants visiting selected CARiNG Pharmacies to undergo basic heart-related checks, taking no longer than 10 minutes, completely free of charge.

The Marketing Director of CARiNG Pharmacy, Mr. Loo Jooi Leng believed that this campaign, “Gift Of Love” will definitely see success in providing excellent pharmacy care to the customers.

To assist the public in kick-starting their management of heart health care, participants can also redeem a free 3-Day Trial Kit of Nestlé Omega Plus products via the Dear Nestlé website.

All in all, all Malaysians should take this opportunity given by these companies in providing free heart health checks. The earlier we treat the diseases with lifestyle changes and medications, the greater the chance we will be able to live a longer and healthier life.

For more information about the “Gift Of Love” campaign and to sign up for the free heart health check, feel free to visit https://gift-of-love.bookdoc.com/