World Heart Day 2023- Theme, Background, And Disease

World Heart Day is observed every year on 29 September to raise awareness among people about the prevention of heart diseases and their global impact. World Heart Day globally aims to break down barriers and empower people to take control of their well-being.

• World Heart Day was started in 1972 by the World Health Organization, a non-governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland.

Theme of World Heart Day 2023:

• This year's theme is "Use Heart, Know Heart" i.e. use the heart emoji and know how to use it best, as visual language is a part of our daily lives. Where emojis are one of the most popular forms of communication today.
• World Heart Day educates people about the prevention of cardiovascular diseases – CVD. It highlights the ill effects of tobacco use, unhealthy diet and the risks of physical inactivity.
• Due to these risks, about 80 percent of people die prematurely from heart disease. The World Health Organization promotes heart-healthy lifestyles as a fundamental human right.

Background of World Heart Day:

• The first World Heart Day was celebrated in 1999. The date of September 29th was chosen as it marks the anniversary of the foundation of the World Heart Federation, which was established in 1978.
• The annual observance of World Heart Day was conceived by Antoni Bayes de Luna, President of the WHF from 1997 to 2011.
• Initially, World Heart Day was celebrated on the last Sunday of September, the first event was held on 24 September 2000.

Heart disease cases are higher in South-East Asia:

• Southeast Asia is home to more than a quarter of the world's population. People of this region are more affected by heart related diseases than other regions.
• According to the World Health Organization, the region faces a high burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for 3.9 million deaths per year, which is 30 percent of all deaths.
• Several countries, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Timor-Leste, have set national targets to scale up hypertension and diabetes management in primary health care by 2025. 
• India aims to reach 75 million people with hypertension and diabetes under standard care by 2025.
• This initiative of India is the largest coverage of non-communicable diseases for primary health care in the world.