A pivotal moment for global cardiovascular disease: The world heart federation and the un NCD summit

摘要

The World Heart Federation applauds the launch of Global Heart at what is sure to be a watershed moment in the story of global cardiovascular disease (CVD). After years of advocacy and persistent effort by the World Heart Federation and our partners to bring greater attention and resources to CVD as a problem across all countries and economies, the United Nations is hosting the first ever High Level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), generally referred to as the Summit, to take place just prior to the General Assembly on September 19 and 20, 2011. As denned in the World Health Organization Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, CVD is, along with cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease, responsible for the lion's share of the global NCD and total disease burden; as an individual category, CVD represents the highest morbidity and mortality of any disease, communicable or not. Because of the shared risk factors of tobacco, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and harmful use of alcohol, the international federations representing these disease groups joined forces in 2009 as the NCD Alliance, and since that time have played a key role in securing support for the resolution calling for the Summit, and in mobilizing the voice of civil society to ensure that the meeting, outcomes document and next steps are as strong as possible.