A promise as an individual to cook and eat more healthily, to do more exercise and encourage your children to be more active, to say no to smoking and help your loved ones to stop. A promise as a healthcare professional to save more lives. A promise as a politician to implement an NCD action plan.
A simple promise… for MY HEART, for YOUR HEART, for ALL OUR HEARTS.
Cardiovascular disease is the world’s number one killer today. But it doesn’t need to be this way. By making just a few small changes to our lives, we can reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as improving our quality of life and setting a good example for the next generation. It’s about saying to yourself, the people you care about and individuals all around the world, “what can I do right now to look after MY HEART… and YOUR HEART?”
Heart health is at the heart of all health
When you look after your heart it means eating and drinking well, exercising, stopping smoking… all the things that make you not only healthier, but also feel good and able to enjoy your life to the fullest.
CVD is the leading cause of death and disability in the world, killing 17.5 million people a year. That’s a third of all deaths on the planet and half of all non-communicable-disease-related deaths. Around 80% of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries where human and financial resources are least able to address the CVD burden.
World Heart Day plays a crucial role in changing all of this. It is a vital global platform that we, as well as our members and supporters, can use to raise awareness and encourage individuals, families, communities and governments to take action now. Together we have the power to reduce the burden of, and premature deaths from, CVD, helping people everywhere to live longer, better, heart-healthy lives.
