Call for Equity, Prevention & Community Drive World Heart Day

That’s the resounding message of this year’s World Heart Day. Toward that goal, the World Heart Federation is promoting three key pillars: equity, prevention and community.

Equity

All patients deserve equitable access to cardiovascular treatment and preventive measures. For this year’s World Heart Day, the focus for bridging differences in equity is through the use of digital health services. Technology and equitable access to high-quality standardized data can help to close the gaps for patients across the globe.

Services such as telehealth have ensured that heart patients can continue treatment during uncertain times, and that new patients can access specialists they couldn’t have reached otherwise.

Prevention

Preventive measures are incredibly important when addressing cardiovascular disease and heart health. Not all cardiovascular is preventable, but preventive measures can lower the individual and societal burdens of heart disease.

Much like a recent statement from the Members of the European Parliament Heart Group, promoting research and innovation can be an important step toward improving prevention for patients. The MEP Heart Group highlighted unmet needs like early detection of cardiovascular disease, support for more cardiovascular research, and finding ways to harness the benefits of digital technologies.

Community

Even with 520 million people across the globe living with heart disease, people can often feel alone and isolated in their journeys. The networks of patients, family, clinicians and advocates are integral to ensuring a successful and sustainable treatment path. World Heart Day is a time to remind people with cardiovascular disease that they are not alone and that there is a community here to support them.

To learn more or get involved, please visit the World Heart Day website.