On Monday, March 6, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) donated a few Smart television sets to the Ministry of Health in support of the HEARTS initiative in Suriname. The presentation took place at the PAHO office by Dr. Lilian Reneau-Vernon, PAHO/WHO Representative in Suriname.
HEARTS is a technical package that provides a strategic approach to improve cardiovascular health in countries. It consists of six modules and an implementation guide. This package supports ministries of health to strengthen the management of cardiovascular disease, especially in primary health care.
The HEARTS package consists of practical step-by-step modules that operationalize the chronic care model (CCM) for an integrated approach to the management of non-communicable diseases, including the H for Healthy Lifestyle Guidance.
The items will have a significant positive impact on the quality and effectiveness of our health education efforts. The use of Smart TVs will greatly enhance the interactive and engaging nature of the health education program. These tools allow the health educators/workers to display videos and animations, run interactive quizzes and games, and provide access to online resources that help our audience better understand and remember the information we share. This allows them to provide health education that is more fun and effective, ultimately leading to better health.
According to Dr. Lilian Reneau-Vernon, PAHO greatly appreciates the commitment of the Ministry of Health to the implementation of the HEARTs program in Suriname and will continue to provide support, not only in Paramaribo, but also in the various districts. “We are confident that this equipment will be used to further modernize the clinics and disseminate audiovisual information on risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases.”
Minister Amar Ramadhin thanked the PAHO for this gesture and will do everything possible to ensure that the donation is used in the right way to provide more information to society in order to raise awareness about chronic diseases.
