World Adherence Day is a global call to action to ensure patients stay on track with life-saving medicines and healthier lifestyles
Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: istock
Millions of lives—and billions in healthcare costs—are at stake due to one critical but often ignored issue: failure to follow treatment plans. The World Heart Federation (WHF) warns that non-adherence to medication, lifestyle recommendations, and overall healthcare plans is fuelling preventable hospitalisations, worsening health outcomes, and straining healthcare budgets worldwide.
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To address this crisis, WHF has partnered with leading institutions to mark March 27 as World Adherence Day—a global call to action to ensure patients stay on track with life-saving medicines and healthier lifestyles.
Across the globe, adherence rates to medical treatments and lifestyle changes are dangerously low. In high-income countries, it is estimated that more than 50 per cent of patients with chronic conditions do not follow their prescribed treatments; adherence rates are even lower in lower-income nations.
“This is a defining moment and raising awareness is the first step in closing these critical gaps in healthcare,” says professor Jagat Narula, president of the World Heart Federation. “The reasons for non-adherence are complex—from stigma and communication barriers to financial constraints—and we must act now.”
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Non-adherence to therapies has a great impact on population health, causing around 200,000 deaths in Europe every year. In fact, research shows that increasing adherence rates to 70 per cent could save more than €330 million over 10 years in the European Union.
One study in China found that good adherence after heart attack was associated with a 39 per cent reduction in cardiovascular events; a study in the US found that patients adhering to treatment experienced a lower rate of cardiovascular events, reduced by 20 per cent. Meanwhile healthcare costs are skyrocketing. In the US, non-adherence to medication and healthcare plans in chronic disease patients led to annual per-person costs of up to USD 52,341 in a single year, driven by increased hospitalizations, emergency visits, and outpatient care.
For healthcare professionals and caregivers, ensuring patients stick to their treatment plans— including medications, diet, exercise, and regular check-ups—is an uphill task. Limited time, resources, and follow-up mechanisms make it difficult to track adherence—leaving patients vulnerable to life-threatening consequences.
The WHF, in alliance with 14 global partners, is calling on patients, caregivers, the pharmaceutical industry, and the medical community to unite in breaking down barriers to adherence. “Treatment doesn’t stop at the doctor’s office,” says Narula, “with World Adherence Day, we intend to ignite a global dialogue and invoke a movement to make adherence—whether to medications, healthier living, or follow-up care—a healthcare priority that deserves a universal commitment.”
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