SEAHEARTS: Accelerating prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases in the South-East Asia Region

Overview

The Regional Committee,

RECOGNIZING that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) stand out as the primary cause of premature mortality in the Region and that accelerated efforts in prevention and control of CVD is imperative for achieving faster reductions in premature mortality resulting from noncommunicable diseases,

NOTING that the interim milestones have built on the progress and commitments made by Member States, especially in setting up targets for placing people with hypertension and diabetes on protocol-based management by 2025; and that the countries in the Region have made good progress in reducing tobacco use and population salt intake, and eliminating transfatty acids,

ACKNOWLEDGING that the SEAHEARTS Initiative that brings together WHO technical packages1 of HEARTS, SHAKE, REPLACE and MPOWER, and implements them in the national context, holds the potential to save lives and improve the well-being of millions,

REALIZING that only seven years remain for the SDG target deadline of 2030, requiring an acceleration of the national responses with time-bound commitments to reduce CVD risk factors and strengthen and reorient health systems to add to the momentum for CVD control in the Region...