THe Ghana Revenue Authority, GCB Bank and the Ghana Community Network Services Limited each presented GH¢10,000.00, Stanbic Bank gave GH¢50,000.00 and Japan Motors donated GH¢15,000.00.

The Awake Purified Water provided boxes of water while MDS-Lancet Laboratory are yet to make their presentation. Dr Lawrence Agyeman Sereboe, the Director of the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC) at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, said this at the launch of the celebration in Accra.

He said the day was the world's biggest platform for raising awareness about cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. This year’s event is on the theme: “For My Heart, For Your Heart, For All our Hearts. “The main call to action for this year's campaign was to make a promise. A promise as an individual to get more active, say no to smoking or eat more healthily ... as a healthcare professional to save more lives ... or as a politician to implement an NCD action plan”, he added.

Dr Sereboe, said there was the need for all and sundry to be educated on the disease, since the disease could affect people of all ages and population groups. He advised the public against bad eating habits such as excessive intake of fatty foods, sugar and salt which poses danger to their hearts.

Dr Sereboe mentioned alcohol use, obesity, tobacco use, and lack of exercise as some of the factors of heart diseases which are on a high rate in the country. He thanked the organisations for their support and advised the youth to desist from smoking ‘shisha’, since it contributed to heart disease.

Dr Samed Tanko, the Head of Oncology Division, NCTC said as part of the celebration, there would be health walk on Saturday September 29 at the Efua Sutherland park to some principal streets of Accra and back to the park, followed by aerobics and free health screening.

He expressed concern about the poor eating habit among the citizenry and urged the public to adopt good life styles to stay healthy. Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti, the Commissioner General of GRA was announced as the Brand Ambassador for this year’s world heart day celebration.