On Monday, March 6, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) donated a few smart TVs to the Ministry of Health to support the HEARTS initiative in Suriname. The presentation was made at the PAHO office by Dr Lillian Renaud-Vernon, PAHO/WHO Representative in Suriname.
HEARTS is a technology package that provides a strategic approach to improving cardiovascular health in countries. It consists of six modules and an implementation guide. This package supports the Ministries of Health to strengthen the management of cardiovascular disease, particularly in the area of 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 managing non-communicable diseases, including the H Guidelines for Healthy Lifestyle.
The elements 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 programme. These tools allow educators/health workers to display videos and animations, run interactive quizzes and games, and provide access to online resources that help our audiences better understand and remember the information we share. This allows them to provide health education that is more enjoyable and effective, ultimately leading to better health.
According to Dr Lillian Renaud-Vernon, PAHO greatly appreciates the commitment of the Ministry of Health to implement the HEARTs program in Suriname and will continue to provide support, not only in Paramaribo, but also in the various regions. “We are convinced that this equipment will be used to further modernize clinics and disseminate audio-visual information on risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases.”
Minister Ammar Ramadan thanked the Pan American Health Organization for this gesture and will do everything possible to ensure that the donation is used in the right way to provide more information to the community in order to raise awareness about chronic diseases.
