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World Heart Observatory

Connecting data and knowledge with experience and action

GLOBAL IMPACT

Discover the burden of cardiovascular disease by country

GLOBAL IMPACT

View Global Impact Data

CVD TRENDS

Explore how the global burden of CVD has changed over time.

CVD TRENDS

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Causes & RISKS

Learn about different cardiovascular conditions and risk factors

Causes & RISKS

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Do you know your Heart facts?

Use our heart fact generator to explore the impact of CVD in your country

* age standardised

IN 2019 THE RATE OF PEOPLE (PER 100,000 POPULATION) WHO LIVED WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN GHANA WAS

XX

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the number one killer, claiming 20.5 million lives globally every year.

In only 20 years, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) nearly doubled, from 271 million in 1990 to 523 million in 2019. CVD affects men and women differently. Men, especially those aged between 30 and 60, are more likely to be affected, but women in Central Asia, Oceania, North Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe still experience high rates of death and disability due to CVD.

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Older woman wearing a face mask on a street surrounded by plumes of smoke and pollution
Older woman wearing a face mask on a street surrounded by plumes of smoke and pollution

Causes & Risks

Millions of people worldwide struggle to control the risk factors that lead to cardiovascular disease, and many others remain unaware of their risk.

Explore causes & risks
a female medical professional using a stethoscope to monitor a boy's heart who is sat on an old wooden chair outdoors
a female medical professional using a stethoscope to monitor a boy's heart who is sat on an old wooden chair outdoors

CVD Trends

Keeping hearts healthy requires access to essential medicines, resilient workforces and strong health systems.

Explore trends in CVD
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  • © World Heart Federation 2024