World Heart Federation
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A myth still exists that cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, are lifestyle diseases that primarily affect older, affluent, male populations. However, as we well know, this is far from the truth.  In fact, all ages and population groups are affected by CVD, including women and children. CVD takes lives prematurely and causes severe illness and disability at high and devastating costs to families and societies.

The good news is that World Heart Day, held annually on 29 September, provides us with the opportunity to raise awareness and encourage individuals, families, communities and governments to take action to reduce the burden of heart disease and stroke.

Focus on women and children

This year our efforts will focus on protecting the hearts of women and children through heart-healthy actions. For more than a decade now, we have joined together on World Heart Day to address the global CVD epidemic, and encourage heart-healthy living across the world. This year, World Heart Day is even more significant given that at the 65th World Health Assembly in May 2012, governments from 194 countries agreed to the first-ever global mortality target on non-communicable diseases (NCDs – including CVD, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases) and made a commitment to reduce premature NCD deaths by 25 per cent by 2025.  Since CVD accounts for nearly half of the 36 million deaths due to NCDs, we have a major role to play in achieving this target.

World Heart Day as a platform for action

World Heart Day offers the CVD community the opportunity to take action and help reduce the global disease burden. By working together with our members, we can unite in our efforts to prevent the 17.3 million CVD deaths that occur each year towards the goal of reducing premature CVD deaths by 25 per cent by 2025.    

Celebrate World Heart Day and join us in the fight of heart disease and stroke: order the World Heart Day material via our website and profile your World Heart Day activities.

We are also delighted to provide members with the World Heart Day 2012 campaign toolkit which will soon be available in the member area of our website.

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