– This year, WHF is inspiring millions of people around the world to be Heart Heroes … by making, and keeping, a promise to look after theirs, their relatives’ and their friends’ hearts
– Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world’s biggest cause of death, killing 17.9 million people a year: in comparison, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined kill 3 million [(WHO)]
Not all hearts are equal … but they should be
World Heart Day is the biggest awareness-raising platform for CVD and this year we are using it to shine a spotlight on heart health inequities. One of the most pressing issues remains access to essential cardiovascular medicines: 2 billion people, around one-third of the population, lack access to the medicines they need, mostly affecting those in underserved countries, regions or isolated areas within cities.1
In all income settings there is also increasing evidence that higher rates of cardiovascular events and barriers to accessing healthcare are linked to socio economic determinants of health, including education and health awareness.2
