The World Heart Day 2024 is commemorated with a powerful call to “Use Heart for Action“. This emphasizes the urgency of raising awareness on heart health and accelerating actions to prevent, detect early, and manage cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Cardiovascular diseases remain a significant global health challenge responsible for over 18 million deaths each year. The burden is particularly heavy in the WHO South-East Asia Region, where CVDs account for 3.9 million deaths annually, primarily due to heart attacks and strokes. This represents 30% of all deaths in the region, with nearly half of these occurring prematurely, before the age of 70 years.
The primary causes of this high burden include modifiable lifestyle practices such as tobacco use, unhealthy diets, particularly those high in salt, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption. In addition, drug treatment of hypertension, diabetes and high lipids are necessary to reduce acute events of CVDs. In the South-East Asia Region, one in four adults has raised blood pressure, and one in ten has diabetes. Alarmingly, less than 15% of people living with hypertension and diabetes are on effective treatment.
Endorsed by the Seventy-sixth Regional Committee in 2023, the Region is committed to implement the Resolution ‘SEAHEARTS Accelerating prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases in the South-East Asia Region,’ which urges countries to reach the milestones related to reducing risk factors such as tobacco control, salt reduction, and elimination of trans-fatty acids, with efforts to improve the coverage and control of hypertension and diabetes in primary health care, by 2025. Being one of the world’s largest expansions of CVD prevention and control in primary health care, SEAHEARTS initiative aligns well with the World Heart Day theme.
Since the endorsement of the Resolution, our Region has collectively made significant progress on SEAHEARTS milestones. More than 1.97 billion people are protected from the harmful effects of trans-fatty acids through best practices or complementary policy measures. In addition, more than 124 million people are covered with at least three WHO MPOWER measures to protect them from tobacco, and over 59 million individuals with hypertension and diabetes are estimated to receive standard care within public health facilities across the region.
In this background, on the World Heart Day, WHO South-East Asia Region calls for action in several important areas:
First, people must be at the heart of action in every intervention planned and implemented. This includes empowering individuals for adopting healthy lifestyles. Simple steps such as quitting tobacco, reducing salt intake, eating a balanced diet, being less sedentary, and managing stress can significantly reduce the risk of CVD.
Second, national governments need to prioritize actions for creating enabling environments by implementing and enforcing policies for reduction of trans fats in food supplies, strengthen tobacco control laws, and promote initiatives to reduce salt intake.
Third, high-quality and effective primary health care is crucial for the prevention and management of CVDs. Strong leadership and commitment are needed from countries to scale up essential services for screening, early detection, and management of hypertension, diabetes, high lipid profiles in primary health care that is available, accessible, and acceptable. Countries need to demonstrate impact through utilizing digital solutions for better coverage and control rates.
Fourth, Regional and global collaboration is essential to share good practices, mobilize resources, and ensure that all countries have the essential support to address the burden of CVDs. There is need to strengthen partnerships among stakeholders such as governments, NGOs, and the private sectors for reducing complications and improving acute management of CVDs.
Let us all commit to “Use Heart for Action.” Whether it’s making healthier lifestyle choices, advocating for stronger NCD policies, or collaborating to strengthen primary health care, every action counts. The steps taken today to tackle cardiovascular diseases, will be a step towards a healthier and more sustainable future. WHO stands ready to support countries and communities to address this important public health problem. Let us act now, for a healthier, heart-strong future.
By Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia
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