The World Congress of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Health has been underway in Mexico City this week, with a focus on heart health and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Vital Strategies staff attended the conference, participating in two NCD Café sessions and in an official panel session.
Our CEO and President José Luis Castro chaired the first one, with Director (Global) Research and Evaluation, Nandita Murukutla on the panel to discuss How Can We Address cardiovascular disease and NCDs in Sustainable Cities?
Jose led the panelists, Dr. Srinath Reddy of the Public Health Foundation of India, Paula Johns, Executive director, and a founder, of the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco Use (ACT), through a discussion on how urbanization can lead to ill-health – through exposure to air pollution, reduced physical activity and poor diets – and yet urbanization, through the good policies and design, provides an immense opportunity to improve health while meeting the goals for sustainable development and prosperity.
Claudia Cedillo participated in the second session, Building civil society capacity in Latin America through lessons learned in tobacco control and NCDs.
Claudia noted the important role of civil society in the progress and implementation of policies and regulations and how civil society has catalyzed change through government advocacy, public campaigns and formation of strategic alliances.
These practices are invaluable in addressing other NCD risk factors, including obesity and alcohol consumption.
The session discussed how civil society can strengthen NCD prevention and why it’s important to build capacity in advocacy skills, create national and regional networks, and collaborate with the government.
Nandita Murukutla participated as a panelist in an official session of the NCD-Alliance, titled “Fast-Tracking the CVD/NCD Response in the Era of Sustainable Development.”
Nandita spoke of the environmental health risks, particularly air pollution, that impede the reducation of NCDs, and the opportunities and benefits of addressing the sources of air pollution through effective policies that take an “all-government” approach.
For instance, addressing the transportation sector can lead to not only reducing air pollution but also to reduce injuries and through an “active transportation” system and increased physical activity.
José Luis Castro also signed the historic Mexico Declaration for Circulatory Health. The declaration is recognition that unless action is taken, deaths from cardiovascular diseases will continue to rise.
It reiterates the World Health Organization’s 25 by 25 goal – to reduce deaths from NCDs and cardiovascular diseases by 25% by 2025.