The inaugural Asia-Pacific Heart Summit commenced today in Bangkok, uniting over 100 delegates from the region to address the critical need for heightened public and policy awareness regarding cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of death in the Asia-Pacific. This event is co-hosted by the Thailand Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Medical Services (MOPH-DMS), the National Health Security Office (NHSO), and the Asia-Pacific Cardiovascular Disease Alliance. The summit underscores the urgent requirement to improve awareness levels, which remain alarmingly low despite the severe impact of CVD.
The Impact of Cardiovascular Disease
CVD claims approximately 19 lives every minute and accounts for over 10 million deaths annually in the Asia-Pacific region. Despite this staggering toll, public awareness and policy attention on this health crisis are insufficient. The economic burden of CVD exceeds USD $177 billion in direct healthcare costs, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities, particularly those in rural and underserved areas.
The Asia-Pacific region, home to 60% of the global population, presents a diverse landscape marked by varying ethnicities, cultures, and socioeconomic conditions. This diversity poses unique challenges in both preventing and treating CVD. Major risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity are often linked to broader societal issues like healthcare access, education, and urban planning. While these risk factors can be largely prevented through early detection and intervention, a lack of health education contributes to their increasing prevalence.
Lower- and middle-income countries within the region face additional obstacles, including inadequate medical infrastructure, a shortage of CVD specialists, and limited access to quality healthcare services—especially in rural areas where resources are scarce. The summit aims to address these gaps by promoting collaboration and generating momentum for comprehensive action.
Key Strategies for Change
Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, Director General of the Department of Medical Services at Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, highlighted four essential activities to enhance health literacy and prevent CVD:
Raising Public Awareness: Educating communities about non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and CVD risks.
Expanding Screening Efforts: Implementing comprehensive CVD risk assessments in underserved areas.
Empowering Primary Care Providers: Ensuring they have access to necessary medications and tools for effective treatment.
Enhancing Surveillance Systems: Developing national registries and databases for NCDs and risk factors to facilitate better tracking and tailored interventions.
The summit also emphasizes the need for cohesive CVD strategies that integrate innovative national policies, including digital technologies and sustainable healthcare financing. Japan’s Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Disease Control Act serves as a model for how policy innovation can enhance public health systems across the region.
Discussions will further explore sustainable financing mechanisms that ensure equitable access to care, particularly for high-risk populations. While both genders are affected by CVD, women’s specific needs are often overlooked in treatment solutions. Therefore, it is vital to develop gender-responsive strategies that address the unique challenges women face in diagnosis and care.
A Collective Commitment
Dr. Panthep Khananuraksa, an expert from the National Health Security Office in Thailand, reaffirmed their dedication to creating lasting change: “Despite the enormous toll CVD takes on lives, there is still a gap in public understanding and policy focus. Cardiovascular disease is responsible for the highest number of CVD-related deaths in Thailand.”
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