Skip to content ↓
CEO Perspective

World Heart Day: Swift action now can avert an epidemic of heart disease for generations to come

Statement in advance of World Heart Day 2019:

“A failure of political will is resulting in too many people dying needlessly from heart attack and stroke. More people die from cardiovascular diseases than any other cause, yet many of these deaths can be prevented by addressing risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol. Governments have an important role in promoting cardiovascular health and improving interventions for prevention and treatment. Smart, population-wide strategies that warn people about the factors that increase their risk of heart attack and stroke, legislation to reduce those risks, and standing up to the vested interests that oppose these policies can positively affect cardiovascular health. Swift action now can avert a preventable epidemic of heart disease for generations to come and help people everywhere live heart-healthy lives.”  

“Smart, population-wide strategies that warn people about the factors that increase their risk of heart attack and stroke, legislation to reduce those risks, and standing up to the vested interests that oppose these policies can positively affect cardiovascular health.”

José Luis Castro, WORLD HEART DAY, 2019

Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies, aims to save 100 million lives from cardiovascular disease by working with governments and civil society to improve global control of blood pressure from 14% to 50%, eliminate artificial trans fats from the global food supply through implementation of World Health Organization’s REPLACE action package, and reduce global dietary sodium intake by 30%.

Vital Strategies also helps governments and civil society to implement evidence-based, population-level policies and strategies to reduce other major risk factors for heart attack and stoke, including tobacco use, obesity and unhealthy diet, air pollution, and alcohol consumption.

Cardiovascular disease is the world’s leading cause of death and disability, claiming 17.9 million lives a year, more than all infectious diseases combined. Around 85% of these deaths are due to heart disease and stroke. Cardiovascular disease accounts for a third of all deaths and half of all deaths related to noncommunicable disease.

Founded in 2000, World Heart Day is an initiative of the World Heart Federation. It is the world’s biggest platform for raising awareness about cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke.