- Heart failure (HF) is a serious, life-threatening condition that exacts a heavy socio-economic burden in the Philippines.
- To help enhance the quality of HF care in the country, Novartis Healthcare Philippines and the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) have formed a partnership to provide PHA members with free online access to Continuing Medical Education (CME) on HF management from two prestigious organizations.
Manila, August 24, 2017 – Heart failure (HF), or pumapalyang puso, is a serious life-threatening condition in which the heart weakens and cannot pump enough blood to fully meet the oxygen demand of the body. Over time, if not treated properly, HF leads to a cascade of changes, punctuated by acute episodes, that cause severe fatigue; breathlessness; damage particularly to the heart, kidneys and liver; and ultimately death.
“We conducted a study on the epidemiologic burden of congestive heart failure [CHF] in the Philippines, the first of its kind in the country. One of the key findings was that overall 8% of patients with CHF died during hospital admission in 2014. This is relatively higher than the mortality rates in other countries in Asia Pacific,” said Dr. Bernadette A Tumanan-Mendoza, the study’s principal investigator, a consultant cardiologist at the Manila Doctors Hospital and faculty member of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, University of the Philippines Manila, College of Medicine.
To help enhance the quality of HF care in the country, Novartis Healthcare Philippines and the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) have formed a partnership to provide PHA members with free online access to Continuing Medical Education (CME) on HF management from two prestigious organizations, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC).
“Cardiovascular diseases such as HF are among the leading causes of death in the Philippines. The DOH lauds efforts to enhance the quality of HF care in the country and improve outcomes of Filipino patients with this debilitating disease,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial.
“Novartis is committed to addressing unmet medical needs and improving outcomes of patients with HF by supporting scientific exchange and innovative research. In line with this commitment, we are privileged to collaborate with the PHA in our Active Learning and Live discussions [ALL] About HF partnership,” said Ms. Cheryl Maley, President & Managing Director, Novartis Healthcare Philippines.
“CME is key to refining physician skills and enhancing overall patient care. ALL About HF will update us with the latest developments in HF management and help us address real-world challenges that HF specialists and patients face today,” said PHA President Dr. Jorge Sison.
Under the partnership, PHA members will have free virtual access to news and opinion on the latest science and clinical developments directly from the ESC Congress scheduled on August 26-30, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. The ESC Congress scientific program will include more than 500 sessions covering 160 cardiovascular topics ranging from basic science to clinical and population research. Data from key clinical studies are also expected to be presented in the late-breaking clinical trial sessions.
The latest Novartis-PHA partnership will also provide PHA members with free access to the “Global Heart Failure Education Program” developed by the ACC for cardiovascular specialists in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Regions.
“The interactive education program enables clinicians to explore basic and advanced heart failure topics and track their progress through quiz assessments. Introductory modules consist of information on basic heart failure while advanced-level modules cover more complex topics around heart failure and the management of this condition. New modules will be added every 2 months,” said Dr. Annette Borromeo, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and African Countries (APMA) Heart Council Member.
“Our latest partnership with the PHA aims to support capacity building in HF management among healthcare professionals and promote a preventive approach in HF across the healthcare system in order to improve patient outcomes,” said Dr. Francis Domingo, Chief Scientific Officer, Novartis Healthcare Philippines.
About Novartis
Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals and eye care. Novartis has leading positions globally in each of these areas. In 2016, the Group achieved net sales of USD 48.5 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.0 billion. Novartis Group companies employ approximately 119,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are sold in approximately 155 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com.
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