Why the study?
Annual cardiovascular disease deaths in Pakistan nearly doubled between 1990 and 2019 while age-standardized mortality rates increased, creating the need for a coherent, population-wide national prevention policy grounded in local realities.
Provides a comprehensive 10-year national health policy framework for Pakistan to reduce premature cardiovascular mortality by 30% through primary care integration, population-level risk reduction, and health system strengthening.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Prioritizes hypertension control and health system strengthening for CVD reduction in Pakistan; extends GBD trends into a 10-year national policy framework.
Background and Rationale Pakistan’s trajectory is alarming. Between 1990 and 2019, annual cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths nearly doubled—from 172,526 to 341,108. Age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) increased rather than declined, in contrast to global trends. Coronary artery disease remains the dominant contributor to disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), affecting both men and women [1]. Recent post-COVID analyses further warn that Pakistan faces a prolonged surge in CVD unless decisive prevention strategies are adopted [2,3]. The most recent Global Burden of Cardiovascular Disease (GBD) report underscores a critical truth: “The GBD is sometimes viewed as a mirror—a detailed reflection of where we are. But its real power is as a compass, pointing us toward where we must act” [1]. The compass now points clearly toward three global priorities: Hypertension control—the single intervention with the greatest population impact. Urgent action on obesity and diabetes—a rapidly rising tide. Strengthening health systems—to deliver prevention and care reliably, equitably, and at scale [4]. Cardiovascular disease is now Pakistan’s leading cause of death, a major driver of healthcare expenditure, productivity loss, and premature mortality. A coherent national prevention policy must therefore be population-wide, equitable, affordable, and grounded in local realities [5]. References Jabbar ABA, Mansoor T, Javed MA, Minhas AMK. Burden of cardiovascular diseases in a developing country—insight from Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2025;85(12 Suppl):2693. DOI: 10.1016/S0735-1097(25)03177-8 Hafizullah M. Preventive cardiology—the only way out! Pak Heart J. 2012;45(1):1-4. Samad Z, Hanif B. Cardiovascular diseases in Pakistan: imagining a postpandemic, postconflict future. Circulation. 2023;147(17):1261-3. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.059122 Krumholz HM. The global burden of cardiovascular disease: not just a mirror, but a compass. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2025;86(22):2103-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2025.09.1584 Nishtar S, Faruqui AM, Mattu MA, Mohamud KB, Ahmed A. The National Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases and Health Promotion in Pakistan—cardiovascular diseases. J Pak Med Assoc. 2004;54(12 Suppl 3):S14-25.
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Hafizullah et al. (2026) studied Cardiovascular disease prevention in Pakistan. Unified National CVD Prevention Plan was evaluated. The Pakistan Cardiac Society proposes a national policy targeting a 25% reduction in age-standardized CVD mortality and 30% reduction in premature CVD deaths within 10 years.
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