New White Paper by APAC CVD Alliance and Deloitte Charts Path to Tackle Rising Heart Failure Burden in Asia-Pacific

Singapore, October 8: The Asia Pacific Cardiovascular Disease Alliance (APAC CVD Alliance), in collaboration with Deloitte, has released a groundbreaking White Paper, Improving Heart Failure Policy and Management in Asia Pacific: Opportunities for Impact, which underscores the urgent need for tailored policy interventions to combat the increasing burden of heart failure (HF) in the region, reports 24brussels.

The report draws on analyses from eight key territories: Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It highlights significant gaps in policy visibility, access to diagnostics and therapies, healthcare infrastructure, and public awareness. Currently, close to 32 million individuals in the region are living with HF, a number projected to rise sharply in the coming decades. The paper warns that without coordinated action, the consequences for patients, health systems, and economies will be dire.

“Heart failure is silently claiming lives across Asia-Pacific, yet it remains hidden in policy shadows,” stated Dr. Krishna Reddy, Cardiologist and APAC CVD Alliance representative. “This white paper lays out the evidence and concrete steps for action. The time for fragmented approaches is over. Together, we can bring heart failure out of the margins and give millions a chance at longer, healthier lives.”

The report not only identifies HF as a clinical challenge but also emphasizes its substantial social implications. Patients across the region are facing loss of independence, elevated rates of depression and anxiety, and a heavy reliance on caregivers who often lack sufficient support. Economically, HF is a growing concern, consuming over 10% of health expenditure in some middle-income countries while productivity losses and caregiver burdens further strain societal costs.

To address the escalating burden of HF, the white paper translates insights into actionable recommendations, including:

• Elevating HF as a distinct health priority with dedicated budgets and measurable targets integrated into universal health coverage plans.
• Strengthening early diagnosis through increased use of NT-proBNP testing across healthcare settings, along with public awareness campaigns to enhance symptom recognition.
• Expanding follow-up and long-term care through multidisciplinary HF clinics and community-based care models.
• Improving access to innovative diagnostics and therapies by aligning clinical guidelines with reimbursement systems.
• Investing in national HF registries to standardise data, improve monitoring, and facilitate best practice sharing.

Kavita Rekhraj, Deloitte Asia Pacific & Southeast Asia Life Sciences & Health Care Leader, remarked, “By combining data-driven insights with pragmatic policy recommendations, this report offers a blueprint for change, giving governments and healthcare leaders a practical pathway to reduce hospitalisations, improve survival, and deliver better quality of life across Asia-Pacific.”

The report aims for ambitious targets, recommending a 20% reduction in HF-related hospitalisations and a 15% improvement in patient survival rates within five years. Achieving these goals will require context-specific, sustained efforts, initiating reforms in more developed health systems before scaling up in emerging regions.

HF care in Asia-Pacific finds itself at a critical juncture. Without immediate action, health systems will be overwhelmed, and patients will suffer. The white paper articulates a clear strategy: invest in early detection, enhance digital and community-based care, secure sustainable financing, and support both patients and caregivers.

As the world acknowledged World Heart Day on 29 September, the APAC CVD Alliance and Deloitte are urging governments, healthcare providers, and industry partners to transition from awareness to meaningful action, to prioritise heart failure, save lives, cut costs, and develop resilient, equitable health systems for the future.