Overview

• WHO says cardiovascular disease leads regional mortality, with half of deaths occurring before age 70 in the South‑East Asia bloc.
• Public facilities are delivering protocol‑based care to over 90 million people with hypertension or diabetes as of June 2025, short of the SEAHEARTS target of 100 million this year.
• Officials cite major drivers including hypertension, diabetes, tobacco use, alcohol, high‑salt and high‑fat diets, and physical inactivity, alongside weak policy enforcement and monitoring.
• Clinicians report a growing toll on younger adults and women, with evidence that a significant share of heart‑attack deaths in India occur under age 40 and pregnancy‑related hypertension posing lasting risks.
• Local responses emphasize rapid rescue and skills training, with Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic installing 20 AEDs at busy sites and training over 1,000 people in CPR as survival from sudden cardiac arrest falls each minute without intervention.