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Accelerating Action for Cardiovascular Health Across the Americas

WHF Communications department
Topics: Noncommunicable Diseases

This statement was delivered by Ms. Fernanda de Carvalho, WHF Advocacy Committee representative for PAHO, under Agenda Item 4.1 – Final Report on the Implementation of the PAHO Strategic Plan 2020-2025 – at the Sixty-Third Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization & Seventy-Eighth session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Americas.

Honourable Chair,

Distinguished Delegates,

The World Heart Federation commends the Region of the Americas for its leadership on noncommunicable diseases and cardiovascular health, including through the Better Care for NCDs and HEARTS in the Americas initiatives.

Yet progress has not consistently translated into measurable impact. Several NCD-related indicators remain stagnant, while substantial inequities persist between and within countries.

To truly change the trajectory of cardiovascular disease, we urge Member States to accelerate evidence-based and cost-effective action. In particular:

  1. Scale up hypertension diagnosis, treatment, and control through HEARTS, with the ambition of achieving 50% hypertension control across the Region;
  2. Increase taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages to at least 50% to reduce consumption and generate revenues for health; and
  3. Develop or strengthen national cardiovascular health plans, backed by adequate and sustainable financing, to expand equitable access across the full continuum of care.

Strong primary health care remains fundamental to universal health coverage, expanding equitable access to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term NCD management at scale.

As we prepare for the 2027 UN High-Level Meeting on UHC, we call on Member States to fully integrate cardiovascular health into UHC through:

  • Robust and well-financed PHC systems that ensure accessibility, affordability, quality, and equity; and
  • Evidence-based and cost-effective cardiovascular interventions in national UHC benefit packages, drawing on the WHO NCD Best Buys.

The next strategic period must turn commitments into measurable health gains – closing persistent gaps in access, coverage, and outcomes.

Thank you.