In the past year, 2,192 people were treated for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest across Aotearoa. The reality is sobering:
-
Only 6% of patients received defibrillation by a community responder before the ambulance arrived. That means far too many lives are still being lost simply because an AED wasn’t close enough when it was needed.
-
Community defibrillation doubled survival odds, yet many communities, especially rural and remote ones, still lack easy access to AEDs.
Sudden cardiac arrest doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t just happen to the elderly or people with existing health issues: it can strike anyone, at any age, and at any time, including children and those who appear fit and healthy.
Despite this, we continue to hear remarkable stories of survival, where an AED made all the difference. In fact, we recently celebrated a huge milestone: 100 lives saved by our Heart Saver AED7000.
Behind those numbers are real people: parents, colleagues, friends, given a second chance because someone nearby knew what to do and had an AED within reach.
Thank you to every team, organisation and community across New Zealand that made these 100 saves possible.
This Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, our message is simple: learn what to do, and make sure an AED is within reach.
Remember: every AED placed in a workplace, school, sports club, or community hub could make all the difference when it matters most.
