The ISH supports the campaign for Universal Health Coverage organised by the United Nations. This Universal Health Care Day, we urge leaders to invest in resilient and equitable health systems.

Everyone has the right to quality health services. A key part of Universal Health Coverage includes strengthening interventions around circulatory health, the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with hypertension as the number one global killer. The burden of hypertension and cardiovascular disease around the world continues to rise.

ISH, as a member of the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health, has highlighted how health systems and governments can achieve this.

Recommendations include:

• opportunistic screening for hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors and diseases
• screening for lifestyle risk factors for circulatory disease such as unhealthy diet, tobacco use, and physical inactivity
• and pharmacological treatment of hypertension for all those who need it.