The Cocoa Processing Company Limited (CPC) has marked the World Heart Day to create awareness that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the world with a public forum in Tema.

CPC therefore used the occasion to encourage the consumption of cocoa products in Ghana.

September 29th is commemorated as the World Heart Day instituted by the World Heart Federation.

The federation seeks to harness the power of digital health to improve awareness, prevention and management of CVD globally for Word Heart Day 2021.

Nana Agyemang Ansong, CPC Marketing Manager, said CVD remains the world's number one killer, resulting in 18.6 million deaths a year.

It has many causes: from smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, to air pollution, and less common conditions such as Chagas disease and cardiac amyloidosis.

Nana Ansong said, the day should be used to mobilize people to take action in order to prevent and control CVD, because medical experts were convinced that 80 per cent of premature deaths were from heart diseases and stroke, this could be prevented by controlling risk factors such as tobacco usage, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

The CPC Marketing Manager noted that, world heart day provides opportunity for individuals, families, communities and governments around the world to unite in the fight against CVD and adopt a lifestyle change to prevent and minimized the incidence.

He said, as the producers of the world's premium and high-quality Golden Tree Cocoa and Chocolate confectionary product, CPC carry a great responsibility to support the important campaign by providing health benefit found in consuming cocoa products.

Nana Ansong advised that, one of the ways of preventing heart diseases was eating healthy diet and "CPC is position in doing that in the product they offer to their consumers, all in bid to contribute to reducing Global Mortality from non- communicable diseases by 25 per cent by the year 2025, set by the World Health Organization".

Dr Edward Amporful, Chief Pharmacist at Cocoa Clinic in Accra; and Dr Florence Akomea of the National Cardiovascular Centre, took turns to educate the public on general heart health and urged them to include cocoa products in their diets to improve their health.

Dr Amporful said cocoa gives energy and does not allow one to put on weight, it contains carbohydrate, proteins, fat, mineral, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, potassium and it serves as a medicinal purpose to the body.

Dr Akomea said cardiovascular diseases was the leading cause of death and diseases in Ghana and the sub-Saharan Africa, according to the last world health organization statistic.

CPC was established in 1965 and incorporated as a limited liability company in November 30, 1981 and publicly listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange on February 14, 2003.

The company comprises three factories: two Cocoa Factories and a Confectionery Factory. It processes raw cocoa beans into semi-finished products - Cocoa Liquor, Butter, Natural/Alkalized Cake or Powder.

The Confectionery Factory manufactures the Golden Tree Chocolate Bars, Couverture, Chocolate Coated Peanut (Pebbles), VITACO and ALLTIME drinking chocolate Powder, Choco Delight (Chocolate spread), Choco Bake and Royale natural cocoa powder.

The CPC factories process only the choicest premium Ghana cocoa beans without any blending, probably the only factory in the world, which can make such a claim.

Through intensive research and product development, CPC turns out products, which meet international quality standards and also consumer satisfaction.