World Health Day Celebration: Novartis turns over Low Salt Recipe Book

MANILA, Philippines - Novartis Healthcare Phils. and the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH), in cooperation with the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) and Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN), formally turned over a copy of the Low Salt Recipe Book to the Department of Health (DOH) as part of the country’s commemoration of World Hypertension Day (WHD) last May 17.

This year’s WHD theme was “Healthy Weight, Healthy Blood Pressure.”

The Low Salt Recipe Book features the winning entries in the 2009 Low Salt Recipe Contest held as part of last year’s WHD celebration, which had the theme “Salt and High Blood Pressure: Two Silent Killers.”

“The formal turnover of the Low Salt Recipe Book to the DOH signifies our continuing efforts in encouraging food establishments to include low-salt meals in their menus,” said Eric van Oppens, president and CEO of Novartis Healthcare Phils. 

“The DOH is pleased to work with Novartis and local medical societies in increasing public awareness on the importance of a low-salt diet in controlling high blood pressure,” said Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral.

“High salt intake causes hypertension, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney diseases. We hope that the Low Salt Recipe Book will help inform Filipinos that preparing delectable and heart-healthy dishes is possible,” said PSH president Dr. Abdias Aquino.

In line with this year’s WHD theme, Novartis and PSH, together with their partners, also launched the “Healthy Weight Dancexercise Contest.”  

 The contest has different categories: seniors (aged 60 and above), midlifers (aged 35-59) and young adults (aged 18-34). A dancexercise group can consist of one person to a maximum of six members.

Participants must choreograph their own dance exercise routine (maximum length: three minutes) following the theme “Healthy Weight, Healthy Blood Pressure.” They must videotape their dance exercise routine and submit the video entry by either e-mailing the video file to [email protected] via “yousendit” (log on to www.yousendit.com) or sending (via courier) the video CD/DVD of their dance exercise routine to Novartis Healthcare Philippines, Asian Reinsurance Building, Legaspi cor. Salcedo Sts, Legaspi Village, Makati City. Deadline for submission of video entries is June 18.

A board of judges composed of medical and dance exercise experts will determine the top three winners in each category. Winners will be announced as soon as possible after the deadline for submission of video entries; they will also be notified via e-mail and featured in a TV program.

Cash prizes will be awarded per category, as follows: first prize — P50,000; second prize — P30,000; third prize - P15,000.

For complete contest rules, log on to www.novartis.com.ph. Also visit Facebook to discover more about the Healthy Weight Dancexercise Contest, or the Healthy Weight Dancexercise Contest Twitter page at http://twitter.com/DancexerciseWHD.