Cardiovascular disease remains the world’s leading
cause of death, prompting APEC economies to endorse a new
roadmap to strengthen cardiovascular health and economic
resilience across the Asia-Pacific on the sidelines of the
Third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting.
Claiming 19.8
million lives in 2022 globally, cardiovascular disease
is placing a growing burden on health systems, households
and economies. Health practitioners and policymakers in
APEC’s Health
Working Group are warning how population aging and
rising rates of hypertension, obesity and diabetes are
adding further strain.
Led by Thailand, with Peru and
the Philippines as co-sponsors, the roadmap gives APEC
economies an evidence-based guide to strengthening
cardiovascular healthcare across the full care continuum,
from prevention and early detection to treatment, long-term
recovery and enhancing health systems.
Reflecting on
the milestone, Dr Junghwan Park, the Chair of the APEC
Health Working Group said, “This roadmap, the first of its
kind in APEC, marks a critical shift in how we approach
cardiovascular health, not merely as a shared clinical
challenge, but as a foundational pillar of economic
resilience.”
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“By strengthening the links between
health and finance policy, APEC economies can collaborate to
protect the health of their populations, sustain productive
workforces and support long-term sustainable growth,” Dr
Park added.
As a voluntary, non-binding framework, the
roadmap gives economies the flexibility to strengthen
cardiovascular health in ways that reflect their own health
systems and priorities, while supporting continued
cooperation and experience sharing across the
region.
“No single economy can overcome the escalating
burden of cardiovascular disease in isolation. By sharing
knowledge and experience, we can strengthen health systems
and build a more resilient response to this common threat,”
said Dr Phongsak Nitikaroon, Deputy Director General of the
Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Public Health of
Thailand.
The roadmap contributes to APEC’s broader
efforts to strengthen health system resilience across the
Asia-Pacific, recognizing the vital role of health in
strengthening productivity and economic
growth.
