Chronic diseases of lifestyle

Chronic diseases of lifestyle awareness

A broader outreach programme to the general Soweto community: As seen with our very successful Chronic Disease Awareness Day to which 200 patients and their relatives who were at risk of chronic diseases are invited, there is a huge need for knowledge about healthy and affordable lifestyle choices.

Our programmes are supported by extensive research which has been published in highly respected international journals. We investigate the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in the broader Soweto community including aetiology and dominant risk factors.

This knowledge has allowed us to translate our findings into suitable programmes developed specifically for vulnerable communities in middle to lower income countries. We aim to do four annual Chronic Disease Days inviting people at risk for chronic diseases via local advertisements in radio, newspapers (e.g. the Sowetan, The Star, Daily Sun) and Drum magazine. All of these have previously reported on our activities.

Chronic diseases management project

Awareness days in Soweto (four per annum)

An awareness day was held on Monday, 18 April 2011 at the Michael Maponya primary health clinic in Soweto. The Socru team had set up a mobile clinic where residents came to be screened for risk factors of lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol. Patients’ weight, body mass index, as well as cholesterol and glucose levels were screened to assess their risk levels.

On Wednesday, 23 March 2011, a Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle Awareness Day was held at Mandela Sisulu Clinic, Soweto. The purpose of this day was to create awareness amongst the public, patients and health professionals about the causes, treatment and prevention of chronic diseases of lifestyle. People from the Soweto community came to be educated about the causes, treatment and prevention of chronic diseases of lifestyle, as well as be screened for risk factors such as, weight, height, BMI, cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure.

Lectures and cooking classes at PHC clinics

A Chronic Diseases of Lifestyle healthy eating cooking demonstration was held on Wednesday, 30 March 2011, 10h00 to 14h00, at Michael Maponya Clinic, Pimville, Soweto.

Outreach programmes for teenagers in schools

We have started to develop a suitable, simple and youth-appropriate education brochure, as well as a targeted DVD to create awareness about risk factors for chronic diseases of lifestyle.

Redesigning and updating the SOCRU website to make it user-friendly and accessible to the youth so they can access news, tips on a healthy lifestyle and recipes via YouTube, Facebook etc.

Awareness days targeted at adolescents at secondary schools in Soweto planned for July to November 2011.