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The Heart Foundation is calling for a national action plan for heart health.
Medical director Gerry Devlin says the plan is needed to address systemic barriers and inequities for a condition that affects almost a million New Zealanders.
Access to healthcare is not equal, with Māori, Pacific and low-income New Zealanders the least likely to access health care when it matters the most.
Māori and Pacific people are 1.3 times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, and four times more likely to die of heart disease before the age of 65 than non-Māori.
A Heart Foundation white paper released at Parliament yesterday recommended action in five key areas:
- prevention, early detection and management, timely access to effective care and support, improvements in survival rates for heart events and creating a more transparent and accountable health system.
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