World Heart Federation : Latest News http://www.world-heart-federation.org/ Latest News en World Heart Federation : Latest News http://www.world-heart-federation.org/ http://www.world-heart-federation.org/ Latest News TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:10:00 +0100 Join us in celebrating World Cancer Day on Saturday 4 February http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/join-us-in-celebrating-world-cancer-day-on-saturday-4-february/ http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/join-us-in-celebrating-world-cancer-day-on-saturday-4-february/ Together it is possible to reduce premature NCD deaths by 25% by 2025 On World Cancer Day, join us in showing support for the global fight against cancer and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).  According to the UICC, 7.6 million deaths occur due to cancer every year and one in three cancer deaths is preventable.  Similar to cardiovascular disease, the risk of developing cancer can be reduced by maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding the use of tobacco, staying physically active and reducing alcohol consumption.  The theme of this year's World Cancer Day is "Together it is possible" meaning that only together will we be able to fight cancer and fulfill the goal of reducing premature deaths due to NCDs by 25% by the year 2025.
For more information on the creation of global targets for the reduction of cancer and NCDs 
For more information on World Cancer Day
]]> Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:10:00 +0100 Interactive session on NCDs at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/-6133f179df/ http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/-6133f179df/ Friday's session will discuss how to reverse the non-communicable disease crisis The Globalization of Non-communicable diseases Future Demographics, Future Cities Smarter Cities for an Urban Century Rio+20: Advancing Sustainable Development For more information Find out more about the WEF Annual Meeting > See the complete programme of the WEF Annual Meeting > See the WEF and Harvard report on the economic burden of NCDs > Raise awareness Unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and tobacco use are all linked to cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death globally and a threat to the global economy.  Protect your heart and share your success #NCDstories on Twitter  ]]> Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:18:00 +0100 World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board meets in Geneva http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/world-health-organization-who-executive-board-meets-in-geneva/ http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/world-health-organization-who-executive-board-meets-in-geneva/ Prevention and control of NCDs will be discussed this week This week the annual meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board is taking place in Geneva.  The Executive Board comes at a critical time for cardiovascular disease and non-communicable disease (NCD) advocacy, following discussions last week by WHO Member States on the creation of global targets and indicators for the prevention and control of NCDs.  The prevention and control of NCDs will be discussed as agenda item 6 at the meeting this week and Director-General Margaret Chan acknowledged NCDs in her opening statement by saying, "public health must address pressing new challenges, beyond the Millennium Development Goals, like chronic non-communicable diseases." 
 
NCDs are the cause of 36 million deaths annually and cardiovascular disease (CVD) constitutes the majority of this burden.  NCDs pose a threat not only to industrialized countries but are cause for concern in low- and middle- income countries as well, where 29% of deaths due to NCDs occur before the age of 60.  NCDs also place an unnecessary burden on the global economy due to the high costs associated with them stemming from direct medical costs as well as lost productivity, the World Economic Forum and Harvard School of Public Health estimate that CVD alone cost the global economy $863 billion USD in 2010.  Therefore, concrete action to combat NCDs must be taken at the global as well as regional level and the creation of a global monitoring framework, targets and indicators for NCDs is necessary to ensure that progress in the global fight against NCDs is achieved. 
 
The NCD Alliance will be delivering a statement to the Executive Board advocating that a set of targets be agreed upon at this year's World Health Assembly (WHA) in May.  Although paragraph 62 of the UN Political Declaration on NCDs states that the governing body of the WHO should agree to NCD targets in 2012, recent developments have indicated that a decision on NCD targets is not guaranteed to be made at this year's WHA. It is vital that civil society push for decisions to be made at the 2012 WHA to ensure that actual progress on NCDs is made and momentum created by September's UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs is not lost. 
 
 
For more information

Complete documentation from the 130th WHO Executive Board >
 
The full text of the Director-General's opening remarks >
 
More about the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs >
 
More information on the creation of targets and the World Heart Federation's role in the process > Information on creation of targets is also available on the NCD Alliance website >
 
Access the WHO discussion paper outlining the comprehensive monitoring framework and targets for the prevention and control of NCDs >]]> Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:43:00 +0100 Indonesia announces actions to address Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) http://www.ncdalliance.org/news/indonesia-announces-wide-ranging-actions-address-non-communicable-diseases http://www.ncdalliance.org/news/indonesia-announces-wide-ranging-actions-address-non-communicable-diseases The Health Ministry is planning to improve campaigns for healthy lifestyle to reduce the risks of NC... Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:35:00 +0100 Gulf Ministers of Health commit to unified action angainst Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) http://www.ncdalliance.org/news/gulf-ministers-health-commit-unified-action-against-ncd-epidemic http://www.ncdalliance.org/news/gulf-ministers-health-commit-unified-action-against-ncd-epidemic NCDs cause more than 60% of all deaths in the Gulf countries, and are caused by shared risk factors.... ]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:21:00 +0100 UN agencies discuss implementation of the Political Declaration on NCDs http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/un-agencies-discuss-implementation-of-the-political-declaration-on-the-prevention-and-control-of-ncd/ http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/un-agencies-discuss-implementation-of-the-political-declaration-on-the-prevention-and-control-of-ncd/ Reports from the 8 December meeting are now available online On 8 December United Nations (UN) Funds, Programmes and Agencies met for the first time to discuss implementation of the Political Declaration of the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). This High-Level Meeting held in September 2011 was the first time that NCDs, comprised primarily of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease, were subject to international political consideration.  The Political Declaration produced by the High-Level Meeting marked a great success for global CVD advocacy and provided concrete acknowledgement of NCDs as an issue that belongs on the development agenda.  However, in order for the Political Declaration to truly have an impact, action on NCDs must continue past the High-Level Meeting and the 8 December meeting is recognition of this.  
Following this meeting the World Heart Federation participated in the World Health Organization (WHO) informal dialogue with non-governmental organizations on targets and indicators for the prevention and control of NCDs.  Detailed notes from this meeting that include proposed targets are available after logging in as a member within the global health agenda section of our website > 
For more information on the creation of global targets and indicators for CVD and NCDs, as well as the establishment of a global monitoring framework, we invite our members to join the global health agenda teleconference on Friday 13 January.  Registration details for the webinar are available after logging in as a member on the teleconferences page > 
Additional information: For access to documents from the first meeting of UN Agencies on 8 December > 
For access to the WHO discussion paper outlining the comprehensive monitoring framework and targets for the prevention and control of NCDs, click here > 
For more information on the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs >
]]> Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:54:00 +0100 Tobacco advertising and promotion increases adolescent smoking http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/tobacco-advertising-and-promotion-increases-adolescent-smoking/ http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/tobacco-advertising-and-promotion-increases-adolescent-smoking/ A new systematic review of 19 longitudinal studies by the Cochrane Collaboration concludes that expo... Key Messages
  • Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship increase the likelihood that young people will start to smoke.  
  • To prevent youth from starting to smoke, countries should impose comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
Additional Resources: Fact sheets and reports on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship [Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish], provided by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids  Access to the article abstract > [English only] More information on the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids > More information on the Cochrane Collaboration > More about tobacco control > Full Citation: Lovato C, Watts A, Stead LF. Impact of tobacco advertising and promotion on increasing adolescent smoking behaviours (Review). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2011;(10):1-45. ]]> Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:58:00 +0100 December issue of Heart Beat is now available online http://www.world-heart-federation.org//publications/heart-beat-e-newsletter/heart-beat-december-2011/ http://www.world-heart-federation.org//publications/heart-beat-e-newsletter/heart-beat-december-2011/ Read the World Heart Federation newsletter for the latest news on awareness campaigns, member activi... Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:12:00 +0100 Brazil becomes largest country in the world to pass comprehensive smoke-free law http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/brazil-passes-comprehensive-smoke-free-law/ http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/brazil-passes-comprehensive-smoke-free-law/ The legislation passed on Thursday will make Brazil the largest country to be completely smoke-free On Thursday, 15 December, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff signed new comprehensive tobacco control measurements into law that will make Brazil the largest country in the world to be completely smoke-free.  In addition to outlawing smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces, the law increases tobacco taxes, increases the amount of health warnings required on tobacco packaging and bans point-of-sale advertising for tobacco products.  
Tobacco is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and is responsible for almost 5 million deaths worldwide every year.  Over 17% of adult Brazilians smoke and by 2025 the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that over 48 million Brazilian children aged 14 and younger will smoke.  The law passed this week in Brazil will aid in protecting Brazilians from secondhand smoke, encouraging those who smoke to quit and preventing children from ever beginning to smoke.     
Brazil will become the 13th Latin American country to become 100% smoke-free, bringing them one step closer to full implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).  
For more information 
Read the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kid's press release > 
Find out about the FCTC > 
Learn more about tobacco control > 
More statistics related to tobacco use in Brazil > 
]]> Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:46:00 +0100 Experts respond to dismantlement of tobacco control in the Netherlands http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/experts-respond-to-dismantlement-of-tobacco-control-in-the-netherlands/ http://www.world-heart-federation.org//press/news/detail/article/experts-respond-to-dismantlement-of-tobacco-control-in-the-netherlands/ Dutch government is cutting tobacco control health education and weakening smokefree policies Despite being party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, earlier this year the Dutch government announced that it would be cutting all tobacco related health education programs and that smoke-free policies in the country would be weakened.  The Netherlands suffers from a relatively high adult smoking rate of 27% and, according to recent research by the International Tobacco Control Evaluation Project (ITC), Dutch smokers’ understanding of the impact of their smoking on others is lower than that of smokers in any other countries studied, even China.  The action of the Dutch government fly in the face of ever-growing evidence on adverse health effects of tobacco and secondhand smoke and the effectiveness of tobacco control measures set out in the Framework Convention of Tobacco control.
Tobacco control advocates, including President Sidney C Smith, Jr and Vice President Hans Stam, have articulated their reaction in a letter to the editor of The Lancet published online today.  Read the letter here.
Learn more about the ITC - the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project 
Learn more about the tobacco control and the WHO FCTC  Read the recent article on theheart.org where Hans Stam and Johanna Ralston discuss the need for physician advocates in tobacco control See coverage of this story in Reuters
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