APAC CVD Alliance Forges Partnerships, Advances Collaboration in Vietnam

The Asia-Pacific Cardiovascular Disease Alliance (APAC CVD Alliance) achieved significant progress at the recent 3rd Open Ancient Capital Conference of Cardiology organized on 27th April 2024 in Hue, Vietnam. Dr. N. Krishna Reddy, CEO of ACCESS Health International, presented the APAC CVD Alliance’s Regional Report. He emphasized the critical need for collaboration among healthcare professionals as cardiologists, primary care physicians, public health experts, and rehabilitation specialists must work together to effectively reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths and prevent new cases.

This call to action amplified APAC CVD Alliance’s vision and purpose. The alliance secured its first two Vietnamese partners: Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy (HueUMP) and the Thua Thien Hue Cardiovascular Association. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Dr. Reddy and other ACCESS Health International team members, solidifying a collaborative effort to improve CVD outcomes in Vietnam.

The conference also fostered knowledge sharing. Alliance partners A/P Farnaza Ariffin from Universiti Teknologi MARA Faculty of Medicine Malaysia and Dr. Kasem Ratanasumawong, President of the Heart Association of Thailand, presented successful models of care in primary and secondary prevention, respectively. A productive meeting was held with Prof Nguyen Vu Quoc Huy, Rector of HueUMP, and A/P Nguyen Minh Tam, Director of Hue UMP Family Medicine Center.

Dr. Reddy’s presentation and the subsequent partnerships mark a significant step forward in the fight against CVD in Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific region. The partnerships forged and the knowledge exchanged in Hue represents a positive development for the APAC CVD Alliance as a multi-stakeholder coalition working to improve cardiovascular health in Asia-Pacific.

The APAC CVD Alliance’s mission is to reduce the high burden of cardiovascular disease in the region, which is the leading cause of death through advocacy for investment in CVD prevention, treatment, and care, while also partnering with patients, healthcare systems, and policymakers across the entire healthcare spectrum. ACCESS Health is the secretariat of this Alliance. You can learn more about the alliance and partner with them here: https://apac-cvd.org/