By Sandamoy Mahanta
Not all living organisms have a heart. Many can live without a heart, but we know humans are the most developed organism to date, and they can't live without a heart. Any non-functioning heart condition can lead to a person's death. So we must take responsibility for our hearts.
A recent media report stated, "India has witnessed a significant rise in cardiovascular diseases between 1990 and 2016. So much that heart diseases and strokes were among the top reasons behind deaths in the country".
Another media report cited that in India, more than 17 Lakh people die every year due to heart diseases, and by 2030, the figure is expected to increase with 2.3 crore deaths. Around 26 percent of total deaths in India occur due to non-communicable diseases (NCD), largely referred to the heart diseases and diabetes.
As per the World Health Organization, Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the major cause of mortality globally and in India. Simultaneously, Indian Heart Association has said, 50% of all heart attacks in Indians occur under 50 years of age, and 25% of all heart attacks in Indians occur under 40 years of age.
Since 2000 the World Health Federation has been organizing World Heart Day every September 29.
The Federation has been taking initiatives to inform the world about cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, which is the world's leading cause of heart-related deaths claiming 17.9 million lives each year.
Emphasizing on different aspects of heart-related conditions and diseases, the Federation sets a theme every year to educate and inform global citizens, highlighting the actions they can take to prevent and control CVD.
Given the ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, this year's theme is, "We don't know what course the pandemic will take in the future, but we do know that taking care of our hearts right now is more important than ever."
The Federation also conducts global summits where the government, civil society, and academia come together to discuss and explore the scope of cardiovascular health.
This year in October, the Federation will conduct the fifth global summit through a webinar titled, Heart Talks: A Series of the 5th Global Summit on Circulatory Health.
The pandemic has already caused over a million deaths. On the other hand, vaccines for coronavirus are still undergoing clinical trials. This uncertainty should prepare us to be smarter and combat the pandemic.
Sandamoy Mahanta is a student from New Guwahati who cleared his Class 12 examination from Axom Jatiya Bidyalaya, Noonmati.
