Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Non-Communicable Diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes), NCD, is the world’s biggest killers, causing an estimated 35 million deaths each year. CVD is the largest single contributor to global mortality. Estimates indicate that nearly 23.6 million people will die from CVD by 2030 and the largest increase in number of deaths will occur in the South-East Asia Region.

CVD is preventable by eliminating shared risk factors, mainly tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. These behavioral risk factors are responsible about 80% of coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease.

There are also a number of underlying determinants of CVDs, or, if you like, “the causes of the causes.” These are a reflection of the major forces driving social, economic and cultural change – globalization, urbanization, and population aging. Other determinants of CVDs are poverty and stress.

Our goals are:

1. To promote an environment throughout the Asia-Pacific Region conducive to the reduction of morbidity from CVD;
2. To facilitate the development and growth of heart foundations and associations, their role in public and professional education, public advocacy and fundraising;
3. To foster partnerships between health professionals and other sectors of society including business and government for the accomplishment of its mission.

To achieve these goals, APHN has developed a Heart Health Charter which presents a framework for action focusing on the need for Asia-Pacific countries.

Click here to view the APHN Heart Health Charter.