FUSTER JOINS FORCES WITH SACHS TO FIGHT POVERTY
FUSTER JOINS FORCES WITH SACHS TO FIGHT POVERTY
(World Congress of Cardiology, Buenos Aires, 19th May 2008) – Dr Valentin Fuster, immediate Past President of the World Heart Federation, has been invited to join the global fight against poverty being led by Jeffrey Sachs, Professor of Sustainable Development at Columbia University, director of the Earth Institute and special economic adviser to United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon.
Professor Sachs has successfully advised many governments in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa on many aspects of economic development and is widely known for his work on poverty reduction, debt cancellation and disease control, especially HIV/AIDS. In partnership with his wife, Sonia, he is currently engaged in the Millennium Villages and Millennium Cities projects which aim to provide models for helping African communities lift themselves out of extreme poverty.
Within this context Dr Fuster, the only cardiologist to receive all four major research awards from the world’s leading cardiovascular organisations, will play a leadership role in tackling the problem of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, renal and pulmonary diseases, which combined have an enormous impact on poverty levels.
According to a recent World Health Organization publication, total global deaths in 2005 amounted to 58 million, of which 35 million were from chronic diseases. In other words, chronic diseases accounted for six out of 10 deaths, with 80 per cent of those occurring in low and middle-income countries.
CVD, with a mortality toll of 17.5 million, is the leading cause of death globally. In low- and middle-income countries, largely through the combined impact of tobacco and overweight, it strikes younger working-age people and at higher rates than in high-income regions, thus hampering economic growth while increasingly threatening children.
The World Heart Federation has continued to call for CVD to be included along with all chronic diseases in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the eight objectives that UN member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. MDG No.6 currently reads: “Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.” In 2005 there were 2.8 million deaths from HIV/AIDS, 1.6 million from tuberculosis and 0.8 million from malaria.
“Towards the end of the last century and at the start of the new millennium the world’s attention has been understandably drawn towards HIV/AIDS and malaria, but cardiovascular disease and stroke remains the world’s number one killer,” said Dr Fuster. “It is therefore not only right but essential that the fight against CVD, along with all other chronic diseases, is specifically recognised by the United Nations Millennium Declaration.
“The absence of investment in CVD and other chronic diseases in low- and middle-income countries is a mistake,” he added. “The chronic disease epidemic needs recognition and support in order to begin to tackle what is already becoming an overwhelming burden of disease. The inclusion of chronic diseases in the Millennium Development Goals is of crucial importance.”
Ends
For more information about the Millennium Villages and Millennium Cities projects visit: www.millenniumvillages.org
About the World Heart Federation
The World Heart Federation is a nongovernmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland dedicated to the prevention and control of heart disease and stroke, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. It comprises 196 member societies of cardiology and heart foundations from over 100 countries covering the regions of Asia-Pacific, Europe, East Mediterranean, the Americas and Africa.
www.worldheart.org and www.worldcardiocongress.org
The Argentine Society of Cardiology
The Argentine Society of Cardiology (SAC) was founded in 1937 and it is one of the world's oldest cardiology societies. Its members include many prestigious historical figures internationally recognized for their contributions to science including one Nobel Prize winner. SAC has more than 6,500 members in various categories including doctors, nurses and technicians. It has 36 Regional Districts spread over the entire national territory and 20 scientific councils representing all the subspecialties of cardiology. It conducts continuous and intensive teaching with courses in all subspecialties, grants the certification of cardiologists with the endorsement of various universities and conducts a programme of recertification training.
Other important areas of its role include research, with epidemiological surveys, clinical research studies and the “Consensus” which sets standards for diagnosis and treatment of major cardiovascular diseases. The society acts as advisor to both legislative chambers of the national parliament and it has established a community focused institution, the Argentine Foundation of Cardiology, to educate and prevent cardiovascular disease as well as running and dictating courses on cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
www.sac.org.ar
The Argentine Federation of Cardiology
The Argentine Federation of Cardiology (FAC) is a scientific institution comprised of 37 cardiology organizations and 11 delegations from the Republic of Argentina. Its mission is to promote the harmonious and integrated development of Argentine cardiology to promote cardiovascular health. The Federation has 22 scientific committees with subspecialties devoted to research and scientific output. FAC publishes a hierarchical Scientific Magazine and through its Educational Programmes, develops regular activity focusing on immediate post-graduate education.
It also works closely with the CARDIO Foundation dealing with subjects related to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and health education in the community.
www.fac.org.ar
The World Heart Federation Press Team:
Victoria Dix / Pablo Retamal
Telephone: +41 22 908 4071 / +41 79 707 7592
During WCC 08 Telephone: 0054 9 11 5949 0432
Email: victoria.dix(at)cohnwolfe.com
www.cwnewsroom.ch
The local press team:
Consultora Paradigma - Pel Comunicación
Patricia Blanco / Ma. Eugenia De la Fuente / Laura Torres Cárdenas
Larrea 1375 6° of. 24 (1117) Buenos Aires
Tel. 54 11 4828-0081
info(at)e-paradigma.com.ar