Sustainable Development Goals and the Future of Cardiovascular Health: A Statement From the Global Cardiovascular Disease Taskforce

Abstract

e are on the cusp of a new era in global health policy that could transform the lives of millions worldwide.Whether cardiovascular health is part of this transformation will be largely determined within the next few months, when the United Nations will debate and decide upon Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2015 and beyond.The membership and volunteers across our respective organizations, therefore, have a rare opportunity to convince international bodies to devote appropriate resources to curb the rise of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and stroke.As global advocates of cardiovascular health, we have a responsibility to generate and secure this political backing to further our collective mission of preventing CVD morbidity and mortality and improving health.This paper highlights why the SDGs are crucial to our combined efforts to prevent and control CVD and other NCDs.