WHO: World Heart Day is observed annually on 29 September. This day informs people about the heart disease and stroke which is the world’s leading cause of death. To support governments in strengthening the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), in 2016 WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) launched the Global Hearts Initiative.
The Initiative comprises five technical packages which provide a set of high-impact, evidence-based interventions that, when used together, will have a major impact on improving global heart health.
On the prevention side, the Global Hearts Initiative comprises the MPOWER package for tobacco control in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the ACTIVE package for increasing physical activity, the SHAKE package for salt reduction, and the REPLACE package to eliminate industrially-produced trans fat from the global food supply. On the management side, the HEARTS technical package is aimed at strengthening the management of CVDs in primary health care.