WHO’s SEAHEARTS Aims to Accelerate Cardiovascular Diseases Management in Southeast Asia

As a vital organ, our heart’s health must be prioritized. Beyond healthy habits, proper and accessible healthcare systems are also fundamental to support good health and well-being for everyone. In Southeast Asia, the World Health Organization’s program SEAHEARTS aims to strengthen healthcare response programs for cardiovascular diseases.

Threats of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally. It is a group of disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels. Some of the diseases include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and rheumatic heart disease. WHO estimated that this non-communicable disease causes 17.9 million deaths annually.

Unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and alcohol abuse are the main culprits behind the diseases. These behaviors can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, overweight, and obesity, increasing risks of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and other complications.

Target 3.4 of Sustainable Development Goals aims to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases. Besides establishing healthy habits, proper systems and facilities are crucial to achieving the goal. The SEAHEARTS initiative by WHO aims to accelerate the efforts for cardiovascular disease prevention and control.

SEAHEARTS by WHO

The SEAHEARTS initiative was introduced on World Heart Day 2022. It adapts the elements from WHO HEARTS’ strategic approach to improving cardiovascular health in Southeast Asian countries. The region has approximately 3.6 million annual deaths due to CVDs.

There are two main roadmaps in the initiative. The first is scaling up hypertension and diabetes care by prioritizing diagnosis management, standardized treatment protocols, and medicine and device accessibility in primary healthcare. The second roadmap focuses on reducing risk factors for preventing and controlling cardiovascular diseases, including implementing tobacco control, reducing salt, and eliminating industrially-produced trans-fatty acids. Together, these roadmaps aim to reduce premature mortality from CVDs in Southeast Asia.

Furthermore, the SEAHEARTS initiative also emphasizes the implementation of WHO technical packages, consisting of practical modules, technical documents, and frameworks to support country health authorities in cardiovascular disease management. The technical packages include WHO HEARTS (for CVD management in primary health care), WHO MPOWER (for reducing tobacco demand), WHO SHAKE (for salt reduction), and WHO REPLACE (for eliminating industrially-produced trans-fatty acids).

Better Systems, Better Health

In the Seventy-sixth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia, Member States claimed commitment to accelerate SEAHEARTS implementation through country-specific roadmaps, strengthen political commitment and healthcare capacity, and promote accountability through data sharing. Systematic intervention in healthcare will hopefully accelerate chronic disease prevention, improve responses, and broaden universal healthcare for all.

“We are at a history-defining juncture. With political will and investment in primary health care, countries can accelerate SEAHEARTS strategies to reduce the cardiovascular burden in the region,” said Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region.

Editor: Nazalea Kusuma

Kresentia Madina

Reporter at Green Network Asia | Website | + posts

Madina is the Assistant Manager of Stakeholder Engagement at Green Network Asia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Studies from Universitas Indonesia. As part of the GNA In-House Team, she supports the organization's multi-stakeholder engagement across international organizations, governments, businesses, civil society, and grassroots communities through digital publications, events, capacity building, and research.