Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for a quarter of all noncommunicable disease (NCD) mortality in the WHO South-East Asia Region, equating to around 3.6 million deaths annually, many of them premature. Most CVDs can be prevented by addressing behavioural risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and harmful use of alcohol. Uncontrolled blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for heart attacks and stroke, representing the most common cause of death and disease globally. Despite treatment for hypertension being safe, effective, and low-cost, most people with hypertension do not have it controlled.

Addressing the burden of CVDs and NCDs has been a flagship priority in WHO SEARO since 2014. The WHO SEARO Regional Strategy for Primary Health Care continues to support countries to integrate services to prevent, detect, treat and manage NCDs – including CVDs – into primary health care, accelerating momentum from the 2016 Colombo Declaration. Now, the SEAHEARTS initiative aims to substantially reduce premature mortality from CVDs in the region.

Strong, regional and country efforts under SEAHEARTS have paved the way for progress. Countries have adapted the WHO HEARTS technical package to their contexts to accelerate the control of risk factors and management of hypertension with improved control rates, and further strengthening of the diagnosis, treatment and management of diabetes.

This NCD Hard Talk webinar will highlight the progress in CVD prevention and control, with a focus on hypertension and diabetes management in primary health care. Join us to learn and interact with an international panel, who will bring the ground reality and illustrate progress across many domains.

Register for the session here