Australian patient groups join Asia-Pacific Heart Summit in urgent call as CVD claims 19 lives every minute

Pharma News: The inaugural Asia-Pacific Heart Summit united over 100 delegates from across the region, including Australia’s hearts4heart and Heart Support Australia. The Summit hosted in Bangkok, Thailand, aimed to tackle the urgent need for heightened public and policy awareness around cardiovascular disease (CVD), which remains the leading cause of death in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dr Panthep Khananuraksa, an expert from Thailand’s National Health Security Office, said “Despite the enormous toll cardiovascular disease takes on lives, there is still a gap in public understanding and policy focus. Our commitment to combating CVD is grounded in the need to raise awareness.

“This first Heart Summit is a starting point for creating lasting change, where all communities, regardless of their location or circumstances, have access to the care and prevention tools they need to reduce these preventable deaths. Collaboration across multiple stakeholders, including the public and patient groups, will be critical to ensuring we build a system that serves everyone effectively.”

The APAC region, home to 60% of the world’s population, presents immense diversity in ethnicity, culture, and economy. This variation is mirrored in its healthcare systems, which range from advanced infrastructures to those still struggling with basic services. Such inconsistencies have led to uneven responses to the CVD burden, resulting in missed opportunities for both prevention and care.

Co-hosted by Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, the National Health Security Office, and the APAC Cardiovascular Disease Alliance, the three-day event highlighted the sobering reality that CVD claims 19 lives every minute, accounting for over 10 million deaths annually across the region.

Tanya Hall, CEO of hearts4heart, told Health Industry Hub, “It’s exciting that the APAC region has come together to work on an action plan to reduce the burden of CVD. Never before have we seen such strong patient representation, and we look forward to working with APAC stakeholders in addressing CVD to improve patient outcomes.”

Echoing this sentiment, Dr Christian Verdicchio, CEO of Heart Support Australia, shared his thoughts, saying “It is interesting to see that within the CVD sector, all of the key stakeholders agree on the urgent need for governments to adopt a CVD policy and action plan, given it is the largest killer in the world and continues to cause the most burden to health systems globally.

“Another key takeaway is this strong desire for all stakeholders to collaborate and work together finally in order to achieve unity not only for good policy but more importantly, improved patient outcomes. It is great to see industry, clinicians, governments, and patient organizations discussing similar issues across our countries in an attempt to learn from one another and help each other achieve a coordinated approach to improving CVD outcomes in the Asia-Pacific region.”

CEO of ACCESS Health International and representative of the Asia-Pacific Cardiovascular Disease Alliance, Dr Krishna Reddy, emphasised the collective responsibility needed to combat CVD.

“We are charting a new course for comprehensive care. CVD requires an all-hands-on-deck, multi-stakeholder approach. Everyone has a role to play – from governments and civil society organisations to the private sector and healthcare industry across the region. Our collective efforts in prevention, treatment, and policy will shape a future where cardiovascular health is prioritized and accessible for all.”

Dr Verdicchio further noted, “There is clear consensus within the region from this summit and roundtable that patients play a central role in all processes related to CVD, and all countries within the region want a CVD policy adopted by their governments to properly tackle this disease burden.”

Adding urgency to the discussion, Thaksaphon Thamarangsi, Director of Program Management at the WHO South-East Asia regional office, warned, “The cost of inaction is far too high, draining resources that should be allocated for future needs.” He advocated for a systemic overhaul, aiming to integrate effective treatments into primary healthcare and ensuring accessibility for all.

“If our healthcare system continues to falter in addressing this leading cause of death, we must ask ourselves: what’s fundamentally wrong?” Thamarangsi challenged.

“We need a thorough reassessment of our healthcare framework. While new medications and training can contribute incrementally, they’re not enough on their own.”

He further added, “What we need is not merely superficial change but a complete makeover of our health system. We must ensure that individuals understand their health risks and have access to quality care at the primary level without financial obstacles.”

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