WHF President Prof. Jagat Narula Delivers Key Statement at UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health

This statement was delivered by Prof. Jagat Narula, President of the World Heart Federation, at the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in response to the panel discussion on Tackling the Determinants of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health and Well-Being Through Multisectoral and Effective Governance and Collaborative Action.

Distinguished Delegates, Colleagues, and Partners,

Cardiovascular disease must be placed at the centre of national and global prevention efforts. It claims 20 million lives each year, making it the world's number one killer-yet most premature heart attacks and strokes could be prevented. The science is there; the solutions are known. What we need now is the political will to act decisively.

On behalf of its 240 Members worldwide, the World Heart Federation urges governments to prioritize cardiovascular health by addressing its key drivers: unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco, air pollution, and untreated blood pressure and cholesterol levels. These are all shaped by the social, environmental, and commercial determinants of health. Progress depends on insulating policymaking from vested interests that delays or weaken action.

We welcome the Political Declaration as an important step towards advancing global NCD commitments. Yet, to truly change the trajectory of cardiovascular disease, Member States must go further and implement evidence-based, cost-effective measures at scale. Today, we put forward five clear, specific, and achievable asks:

• Treat 500 million more people with hypertension by 2030, aiming for 50% hypertension control. This requires investment in primary healthcare especially in low- and middle-income countries; countries, where the burden is greatest and treatment rates remain unacceptably low;
• Tax tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages by at least 50% a proven strategy to reduce consumption and raise additional revenue for health systems;
• Implement the World Health Organization's 2021 Air Quality Guidelines to reduce pollution and prevent millions of cardiovascular disease deaths;
• Address systemic health inequities and establish sustainable financing structures for cardiovascular disease management, recognizing that out-of-pocket costs are pushing families into poverty and blocking access to care; and
• Commit to a 50% reduction in NCD-related deaths and disability across all age groups by 2050, aligning political ambition with the true scale of the global NCD crisis.

None of these goals can be achieved if they are addressed in silos. Progress will require true multisectoral collaboration-across health to finance, agriculture, trade, infrastructure, urban planning, education, and the environment. From regulating ultra-processed food marketing to ensuring walkable cities and clean air standards, good health is ultimately a policy choice.

We cannot continue to treat symptoms while ignoring root causes. Health is not just a personal choice. Prevention is political and must be a priority for governments. We urge Member States to ensure that the political declaration is translated into more ambitious actions, backed by solid accountability mechanisms.

Tackling cardiovascular disease is both an urgent necessity and a long-term solution. If we act decisively now, together, we can change the course of millions of lives for generations to come. We stand by The Call to Lead on NCDs; now it's time to deliver.

Thank you.