Migrant women from Poland, China and eight African states are participating in a health initiative in Galway which aims to raise awareness about heart disease risks.
Croí, the west of Ireland cardiology foundation, is hosting the free event on Friday as part of its Women at Heart campaign.
Heart disease is the biggest killer of women in Ireland, with more women dying of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than of breast cancer every year.
Croí says it is targeting the “new Irish” grouping as a sector which is identified as having an increased risk compared to many Western populations.
Helen Ogbu of the Nigerian Imo women's association in Galway said she had offered to work with Croí on the event after her mother died of heart problems last year.
“We didn’t know she had heart disease, as the symptoms are very different for women,” Ms Ogbu said. “Croí was very supportive, and so we felt it would be good to create awareness and help women of every nationality.
"We are already booked out, with women from the Nigerian region of Imo, from South Africa, Kenya, the Congo, Togo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Cameroon, Poland and China participating, and so we will probably have another one after this," Ms Ogbu said.
Preventability
Croí prevention nurse lead and programmes manager Irene Gibson said some 90 per cent of heart disease and stroke occurrence is due to risk factors such as smoking, diet and weight and physical activity levels - which means 90 per cent of it is preventable.
“Hypertension is three to four times more prevalent in Asian, African and eastern European populations, but much can be achieved with increased awareness,” Ms Gibson said.
The participants will be offered free health checks involving blood pressure, pulse and body mass index.
They will also attend talks on reducing risk of CVD and on healthy eating for the heart - including advice on healthy portion sizes and reading food labels.
Croí is hosting the event at its heart and stroke centre in Newcastle, Galway, which opened two years ago and is the only one of its type in the State.
More information on the Women at Heart campaign is available at (091) 544 310 and at www.croi.ie
