Overview

• Cardiovascular diseases are the region’s leading killer with roughly eight deaths each minute, and about half occur before age 70, according to WHO South-East Asia.
• Major drivers include hypertension, diabetes, tobacco, unhealthy diets high in salt and fats, alcohol use, inactivity, and stress, with about 85% of people with hypertension or diabetes lacking adequate control.
• WHO notes operational gains toward the SEAHEARTS goal, with public facilities providing protocol-based management to more than 90 million people by June 2025 on the path to 100 million by year-end.
• WHO calls for population measures such as salt reduction, elimination of industrial trans fats from food supplies, and strict enforcement of comprehensive tobacco control laws.
• Local efforts echo the push: Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune reports installing 20 AEDs, donating devices at 10 metro stations, and training over 1,000 people in CPR, while clinicians highlight rising risk in younger adults and women, including during and after pregnancy.