American Heart Association hosts regional events to share 2015 CPR guidelines

15 instructor update events scheduled over next several months

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Heart Association, a U.S.-based nonprofit and one of the world's largest volunteer organizations committed to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, is hosting a series of conferences to teach instructors the latest science and updated training based off its recently published 2015 Guidelines Update for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC).

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The Guidelines Instructor conferences, designed for AHA Instructors, provide an update of new science released in the latest guidelines, and offer the guidance and tools needed to continue training until translated products are released. The 2015 AHA Guidelines for CPR and ECC, published on Oct. 15, call for integrated systems of care that participate in continuous quality improvement and that provide a common framework for both community and healthcare-based resuscitation systems.

"At the American Heart Association, we believe everyone deserves to live a healthier, longer life. That's why we are committed to the expansion of science-based lifesaving training solutions in the Middle East and North Africa," said Monica Kleinman, MD, of Children's Hospital Boston, who is also an author on the guidelines writing committee and a member of the AHA's Emergency Cardiovascular Care committee.

"It's very exciting to unveil the 2015 Guidelines to instructors, training centers and educators who can help deliver the latest science and educational information to their students," said Kleinman.

AHA courses are designed to reduce disability and death caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke – the leading cause of death in the world, and throughout the Middle East and North Africa. With the help of a global network of international training centers, the AHA trains more than 17 million people a year globally in lifesaving first aid, CPR and advanced cardiovascular care. 

From its regional office located at Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) free zone in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the AHA supports program development and works with 134 training centers and 120 sites throughout the Middle East and North Africa providing lifesaving training courses in the region.

The AHA has about 3,000 staff and more than 22 million volunteers and supporters worldwide. It has a network of 400,000 instructors and 3,500 affiliated training centers.

The schedule of regional events: (Please note some have already taken place.)

November 2015
22 Nov. Sharjah, UAE 
26 Nov. Doha, Qatar
28 Nov. Lahore, Pakistan

December 2015
1 Dec. Muscat, Oman
4 Dec. Cairo, Egypt
8 Dec. Jebail, Lebannon
10 Dec. Abu Dhabi, UAE
15 Dec. Dubai, UAE
17 Dec. Kuwait City, Kuwait
19 Dec. Amman, Jordan

January 2016
5 Jan. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
7 Jan. Al Ain, UAE
18 Jan. Manama, Bahrain
21 Jan. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
30 Jan. Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia

Events will be hosted by: UAE Ministry of Health Training Center in Sharjah, Primary Health Care Corporation ITC in Doha, College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan in Lahore, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital Training Center in Muscat, National Heart Institute Training Center in Cairo, Lebanese American University Clinical Simulation Center in Jebail, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi LLC in Abu Dhabi, American Hospital Dubai in Dubai, Emergency Medical Services Training Center in Kuwait, The Specialty Hospital Life Support Training Center in Amman, King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh, Tawam Hospital in Al-Ain, King Hamad University Hospital in Manama, King Saud Bin Abdul Aziz University Health Science in Jeddah and Saad Specialist Hospital in Al-Khobar.

Both United States and Regional Speakers will be traveling to be the lecturers at these events.

The AHA guidelines, which are based off the latest resuscitation research, have been published since 1966 to provide science-based recommendations for treating cardiovascular emergencies – particularly cardiac arrest in adults, children, infants and newborns.

For almost 50 years, the American Heart Association's CPR and ECC guidelines have been used to train millions in CPR, first aid and advanced cardiovascular care around the world. These guidelines are based on an international evaluation process that involved hundreds of resuscitation scientists and experts worldwide who evaluated thousands of peer-reviewed publications. 

This year's update provides recommendations on the data where new evidence requires a systematic review, in part, due to a network of trainers who regularly implement the CPR and ECC guidelines and rely on the science to inform the most effective care.

To learn more about the American Heart Association's emergency cardiovascular care programs and other efforts around the world, visit international.heart.orghttp://www.global.heart.org/.

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a global leader in the discovery and dissemination of heart disease and stroke science, and is widely known and highly respected as one of the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to preventing, treating and defeating cardiovascular diseases and stroke. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. To learn more about the AHA, visit heart.org or call +1-800-242-8721.  At this time, our call center only supports English inquiries. To learn more about the American Heart Association's emergency cardiovascular care programs and other efforts around the world, visit international.heart.orghttp://www.global.heart.org/.