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Western Pacific

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the Western Pacific, accounting for nearly 40% of all deaths.

The region is also home to the world’s largest burden of rheumatic heart disease, which remains a major health issue in low- and middle-income countries in the Western Pacific Region, as well as among Indigenous communities in Australia and New Zealand.

5.7M

people die from CVD every year in the Western Pacific

CVD is the number one cause of death in the region

82,000

people die from rheumatic heart disease every year in the region

Latest News

No More Smoke and Mirrors: Exposing Industry Tactics to Protect Heart Health

The World Heart Federation is proud to celebrate World No Tobacco Day with the global cardiovascular and tobacco control communities, under the theme Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products.  Tobacco remains a major – yet entirely preventable – risk factor for cardiovascular disease, responsible for approximately 15% of all cardiovascular-related […]

Advancing Cardiovascular Health on the Global Stage

The World Heart Federation (WHF) proudly represented the global cardiovascular community at the Seventy-Eighth World Health Assembly (WHA78), which concluded on 27 May 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.   Throughout the Health Assembly, WHF delivered a series of high-impact statements across a range of agenda items to ensure that cardiovascular health remains central to global health priorities, […]

Addressing Neglected Cardiovascular Conditions in Women and Children

This statement was delivered by the World Heart Federation under agenda item 13.9 – Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s, and Adolescents’ Health – at the Seventy-Eighth World Health Assembly.   Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, The World Heart Federation applauds the Director-General for his report and welcomes the newly released guidelines on rheumatic heart disease – […]

No UHC Without NCDs: Urging Progress Ahead of 2030

This constituency statement was led by NCD Alliance and the World Heart Federation under agenda item 13.3 – Universal Health Coverage – at the Seventy-Eighth World Health Assembly.   Distinguished delegates, There can be no Universal Health Coverage without addressing noncommunicable diseases and mental health – these are central to efforts to realise UHC. Yet, […]

Air Pollution

Air Pollution

Chagas Disease

Chagas Disease

Cholesterol

Cholesterol

COVID-19

COVID-19

Diabetes

Diabetes

Healthy Diet

Healthy Diet

Heart Failure

Heart Failure

Hypertension

Hypertension

Obesity

Obesity

Prevention

Prevention

Rheumatic Heart Disease

Rheumatic Heart Disease

Tobacco

Tobacco

Women & CVD

Women & CVD

The most common heart attack symptom, in both men and women, is some type of chest pain, pressure or discomfort. But chest pain is not always the most noticeable symptom, especially in women, who are more likely to experience it as pressure or tightness in the chest. They may even have no chest pain at […]

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