Since late 1960's cardiovascular diseases are a major public health problem in Korea. In 1993, they caused 24% of all death among Koreans, the death from cerebrovascular diseases being the most frequent ones.
This review study done purposefully by the request of the Korean Research Institute of Health and Social Affairs for 'health for all' policy development on cardiovascular diseases.
Mortality, prevalence, risk factors and current national and/or community control programs of the major cardiovascular diseases, namely cerebrovascular diseases, hypertensive diseases and ischemic heart diseases are thoroughly reviewed and
summarized.
The most disireable and feasible target to achieve the health for all by the Year 2000 for the cardiovascular diseases should be the reduction of its mortality and progress in improving the quality of life of the people suffering from
cardiovascular
diseases.
The strategies of achieving the target would be : ①implementing preventive measures to reduce major risk factors such as hypertension, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, and overweight, ② improving health care delivery system for early diagnosis
and
treatment and ③ improved provision of physical, mental and social rehabilitation for patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases for better quality of life.
Detailed methods of approach are discussed specifically by each organizational level, and international comparison of health for all targets as well as health for all development strategies is attempted for two other countries, U.S.A. and
Australia.
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