This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
On September 29th, World Heart Day, the Philips Foundation in collaboration with the Kenya Red Cross (KRC) is launching the third phase of its Back to Rhythm Campaign.
The campaign, initiated in 2017, aims to educate the public about cardiac health in Kenya and increase the chances of survival of victims of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
This year, the campaign will focus on athletes, a group that puts their hearts under a different type of strain, in Eldoret Town, home of marathon athletes' training.
As part of the campaign, the David Kinja, Kenya's renowned cyclist, will spearhead the Heart of Champions Challenge, a 314km cycling trial from Nairobi to Eldoret.
2,000 athletes, 1,000 from Nairobi, and 1,000 from Eldoret will receive cardiac screening.
The Philips Foundation has donated 17 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to the Kenya Red Cross, which have been strategically placed in ambulances located throughout Nairobi, Narok, and Meru.
The Kenya Red Cross has already attended to 88 cases of sudden cardiac arrest between 2017-2019.
According to the Kenya Cardiac Society, 12% of non-communicable diseases that kill Kenyans are heart-related.
