Hato Hone St John is urging New Zealanders to learn CPR this October, warning that knowing what to do in the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest could mean the difference between life and death.
Its annual Shocktober campaign, supported by MAS, aims to train more than 17,000 people in CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, through its free 3 Steps for Life programme and community events.
The message is particularly important because 72 percent of cardiac arrests happen in the home. Hato Hone St John says every minute without CPR or defibrillation can reduce a person’s chance of survival by 10 to 15 percent, while early intervention can more than double survival chances.
More than 2,400 people were treated for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by ambulance services across Aotearoa during the past year. Only 12 percent survived beyond one month.
Significant inequities also remain. Hato Hone St John says Māori and Pacific peoples experience cardiac arrest at younger ages, while women are only half as likely as men to receive CPR and defibrillation from bystanders.
Shocktober will also reach 10,000 tamariki through the Save Your Teddy campaign, promote the GoodSAM volunteer responder app and encourage whānau to learn where their nearest AED is located.
The message is simple — call 111, start CPR and use an AED if one is available. Three steps, taken quickly, could save the life of someone you love.
#Shocktober #HatoHoneStJohn #CPR #LearnCPR #3StepsForLife #AED #CardiacArrest #SaveALife #Hauora #HauoraMāori #MāoriHealth #PacificHealth #Whānau #Tamariki #HeartHealth #EmergencyResponse #GoodSAM #Aotearoa #WaateaNews #RadioWaatea
