World Heart Day(WHD) is annually observed across the world on 29th September to create awareness about Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) including heart disease & stroke and to promote actions to prevent, detect and manage CVD.
Theme:
The theme of World Heart Day 2024 is “Use Heart for Action”.
- The World Heart Federation(WHF) will campaign under the theme “Use Heart for Action” from 2024 to 2026.
- This will support individuals to care for their heart and empower them to urge the leaders to take cardiovascular health seriously.
Background:
i.The Idea of World Heart Day(WHD) was introduced by Antoni Baie de Luna, former President of the WHF (1997-1999).
ii.In collaboration with the World Health Organization(WHO), World Heart Day was officially established in 1999.
iii.The first ever WHD was observed on 24th September 2000.
- The day was originally observed on the last Sunday of September every year. Since 2011 the day has been annually observed on 29th September.
Cardiovascular diseases(CVD):
i.Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels.
ii.CVDs are a significant global health challenge which is responsible for over 18 million deaths every year.
iii.CVDs account for 3.9 million deaths annually in the WHO South-East Asia region.
iv.The primary causes include modifiable lifestyle practices like tobacco use, unhealthy diets, particularly those high in salt, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption.
SEAHEARTS Initiative:
i.The SEAHEARTS Initiative was introduced on World Heart Day 2022 as a response to accelerating efforts to prevent and control CVDs.
ii.This increases the implementation of WHO technical packages – WHO HEARTS (technical package for CVD management in primary health care), WHO MPOWER (measures to reduce the demand for tobacco, contained in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control), WHO SHAKE (technical package for salt reduction) and WHO REPLACE (technical package for eliminating industrially produced trans-fatty acids).
About World Heart Federation(WHF):
WHF is a global non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to the prevention and control of CVDs.
WHF was formed in 1978 by a merger of the International Society of Cardiology and the International Cardiology Federation, under the name of the International Society and Federation of Cardiology.
In 1998, this body was renamed as the World Heart Federation.
President– Daniel José Piñeiro
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
