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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

World Heart Federation Appoints Borjana Pervan as Chief Executive Officer

The World Heart Federation (WHF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Borjana Pervan as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 June 2026. Ms Pervan brings over two decades of service spanning global health, environment, human rights, and child protection. She has served as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO of the World […]

Designed to Addict: Newer Tobacco and Nicotine Products Are a Threat to Cardiovascular Health

The World Heart Federation (WHF) is proud to celebrate World No Tobacco Day – under the banner Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Tobacco and Nicotine Addiction – together with the global cardiovascular health and tobacco control communities. Tobacco use and exposure to second-hand emissions are responsible for over 7 million deaths each year. Tobacco remains a […]

Tobacco

WHF calls for stronger action on cardiovascular health at the 79th World Health Assembly

The World Heart Federation represented its Members and the global cardiovascular community at the 79th World Health Assembly, which was held from 18 to 23 May 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland.  Throughout the Health Assembly, WHF engaged with Member States, the World Health Organization, and civil society partners to call for stronger, more equitable, and more integrated action on cardiovascular health and other […]

Placing NCDs and Cardiovascular Disease at the Heart of the 2030 Agenda

This constituency statement was led and delivered by the World Heart Federation under agenda item 12.6 – Health in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – at the Seventy-Ninth World Health Assembly.   Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, We note with concern that the world is significantly off course to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals, […]

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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