World Heart Day: PANAH Calls for Healthy Lifestyle to Prevent Heart Diseases
17.9 Million Deaths Globally Linked to Heart Diseases Each Year, Exercise, Healthy Diet and Stress Control Key to Heart Health, Says PANAH
Rawalpindi – September 27, 2025 (Adnan Hameed) : Heart diseases are caused by life style, which can be prevented — Message from PANAH President Major General (R) Masood Ur Rehman Kiani on World Heart Day
Rawalpindi. World Heart Day aims to educate people about the prevention of heart diseases. In this regard, the Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) organized a ceremony today at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) with the aim of educating our countrymen about the prevention of heart diseases.
Addressing the ceremony, President PANAH Major General (R) Masood Ur Rehman Kiani said that heart disease is increasing at an alarming rate in Pakistan. Millions of people die due to heart diseases in Pakistan every year. To reduce heart diseases, we need to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Make walking and exercise a regular habit, avoid stress, control obesity, avoid smoking and eat a healthy diet. Excessive consumption of unhealthy foods such as sugar, salt, fat and fried foods is one of the major causes of heart diseases. Increase the consumption of vegetables and fruits in your diet and avoid heart disease.
Major General Muhammad Nadir Khan said that 17.9 million people die every year in the world due to heart diseases. Today, on the occasion of World Heart Day, we should reiterate that we should adopt a healthy lifestyle. Make exercise a regular habit and be careful in choosing food.
Colonel Shakeel Mirza said that non-communicable diseases including heart, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and kidney diseases are the biggest causes of death worldwide. According to the 2021 report of the Diabetes Federation, 33 million people in Pakistan are living with diabetes and Pakistan has become the third largest country in the world in terms of people suffering from diabetes and Pakistan has come first in the world in terms of the rapid increase in the disease.
The risk of heart disease increases in diabetic patients.
Health and nutrition expert Munawar Hussain said that diet play important role for controlling burden of Heart Diseases and other fatal diseases. He added that policy action like taxing ultra-processed products and imposing front of pack warning labels on Ultra-process products will help to reduce burden of Heart diseases and other fatal diseases.
Sana Ullah Ghumman General Secretary PANAH, said that non-communicable diseases have become a serious challenge to our health as well as our economy. The annual expenditure on diabetes alone is estimated to be more than 2.6 billion US dollars. PANAH is also working with the government to create awareness among people about heart and related diseases and enact legislation that will reduce the disease.
Recently, PANAH efforts led to an increase in taxes on unhealthy sugary drinks and tobacco, which reduced their consumption, but much more needs to be done. PANAH is now working with the government on front-of-pack labeling of unhealthy items so that people are better informed about the food they are eating. He said that civil society, government, journalists, health professionals and all active segments of society will have to work together for a healthy Pakistan.
