The development of the Engaging Women Strategy represents a new program of work for the Heart Foundation in that its long-term goal is to reduce cardiovascular disease in women, with the more immediate goal over the next four years to increase awareness of cardiovascular disease risk among Australian women aged 45-54 years and the steps that can be taken to reduce it.
This will be achieved in four principal ways:
- Through implementation of a comprehensive marketing campaign to raise public awareness.
- Through collation of existing data to develop a more comprehensive picture of the burden of cardiovascular disease in Australian women.
- Through corporate and community fundraising activities to extend the reach of our key messages; and
- Through greater engagement with health professionals and women’s networks to improve service provision and awareness.
Approaches to this work will be done cross functionally across the Heart Foundation drawing heavily on the skills of Health, Fundraising and Communications. Go Red for Women will be the public face of this strategy however it will be underpinned by a range of health, policy and research activities designed to improve the prevention, treatment and management of heart disease in women in Australia.
Specific actions over the next 4 years will include:
- A Baseline and tracking survey: to gain a better understanding of Australian women’s beliefs and attitudes towards heart disease and how these change over time;
- Commissioning a Profile on Women and Cardiovascular disease in Australia report; by the Australian institute of Health and Welfare. This will provide a baseline on women’s disease rates and access to services across Australia.
- Social marketing to promote awareness of the steps women can take to reduce their risk of heart disease.
- Promotion of Heart Foundation programs that support healthier lifestyles: these include initiatives such as the Tick program, the Heart Foundation Walking Program, the Heart Foundation Heartmoves program, and advocacy for smoke-free public places and urban environments supportive of active living;
- Go Red For Women annual events across the country to raise awareness.
- Advocacy for more research: into the prevention, treatment and management of cardiovascular disease in women.
- Enlisting Champions to extend the reach of our messages through women’s health, social and professional networks.
- Guidelines into practice: Greater promotion of the Heart Foundation’s clinical guidelines to help health professionals prevent and manage heart disease (Reducing Risk in Heart Disease, Chronic Heart Disease, Rheumatic Heart Disease, routine cardiovascular health checks); and
- Influence on women’s health and social policy: Advocate to state and national government for the need to develop better health systems for managing heart disease in metropolitan, rural and remote areas of Australia.
For information contact please call 1300 36 27 87