EEAA Chief Executive endorses ‘Business Women Champions of the Heart’ campaign

Joyce DiMascio, Chief Executive of the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia (EEAA), is one of 16 senior business women invited to be ambassadors in a new Heart Foundation and Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry campaign.

Launched this week, ‘Business Women Champions of the Heart’, aims to put women’s heart health in focus through the business community using the extended network of its newly appointed advocates.

DiMascio said she believed, along with many women working in the business events sector, that the message about heart health was critical for the industry given the alarming statistic that 22 women die each week from heart disease.

She advised “women often prioritise others over themselves, which is why it is important to focus on women’s heart health. This campaign will give more women a chance of survival with increased awareness of symptoms and prevention.

“Heart disease in women is also a male issue – it’s something that the whole community should be concerned about. The Heart Foundation needs our support in spreading the message about this campaign.”

“Business Women Champions of the Heart” is the nation’s first network of senior business women dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease in women. The ambassadors will support its efforts to educate the community about heart disease in women.

The campaign was launched by leading businesswoman, urbanist and philanthropist Lucy Turnbull, who stated “the stereotype continues to persist that heart attacks and heart disease are male issues, but the numbers tell a different story. In Australia, 22 Australian women will die from heart disease each day, killing almost three times as many women as breast cancer.”

James Pearson, Chief Executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he was taken aback to learn that 46,000 Australian women were hospitalised due to heart disease each year.

Pearson stated “the Australian Chamber looks forward to initiating further ambassador opportunities for our female leaders, so we can continue to support the Heart Foundation in this vital work.”

The Australian Chamber of Industry stated that symptoms may include pain in the jaw, back or neck. They can also have shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and cold sweats, overwhelming fatigue or anxiety, lethargy and loss of appetite.

DiMascio concluded “aareness is a key aspect of prevention. This is why this campaign is essential. It puts women in the forefront to spread a message on heart disease, which is commonly overlooked and ignored.

“Many women have never discussed heart disease with their doctor, this has to change. Heart disease affects everyone and many women are missing key symptoms due to ignorance.”

Click here to find out more about women and heart disease.

Images: The Business Women Champions of the Heart launch (top), Lucy Turnbull and Joyce DiMascio (middle) and the launch tool kit (below).