World Health Day (April 7, 1972)

Human heart, the main feature of the design, in displayed in the centre of the stamp against a vignette background of light blue. Carmine red, cobalt blue, yellow ochre and black colours have been used to depict the heart. The emblem of the International Society of Cardiology appears in black and red colours in the right hand corner below. The date of issue “7th April, 1972” appears in red along side the right hand edge of the stamp. The denomination 20’ with word Paisa’ and ‘Postage’ appears in black in the left corner below The words “The heart at the heart of health” appear in black against a pink strip at the top. “Pakistan” in Urdu, English and Bengali appears in reverse in the blue strip at the bottom.
To commemorate the World Health Day-1972, the Pakistan Post Office is issuing a postage stamp of 20-Paisa denomination on 7th April 1972.
On the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Health Day 1972 is being celeb-rated throughout the World. The theme selected for this day is the ‘PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CARDIOVAS-CULAR DISEASES,’ with the slogan “THE HEART AT THE HEART OF HEALTH”. The International Society of Cardiology is sponsoring a worldwide campaign of information and education to draw the attention of the public to the risk of cardiovascular and cerebro-vascular diseases which, according to the World Health Organization, may result in coming years in the greatest epidemic mankind has faced.
Heart disease, with its appalling death rate, ranks as one of the greatest public health problems in the western countries. In the past 40 years, the crude death rate has increased 35 folds. In Pakistan, the data from various epidemiological studies and from the hospital figures from various parts of the country has provided ample evidence that Pakistan is fast approaching the western figures of death rate due to heart disease. On the basis of the epidemiology surveys, carried out by the Cardiovascular Research Unit at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, it is estimated that in Pakistan, one in every 8 persons, above the age of 30 years, is likely to suffer with high blood pressure. The presence of blood pressure increases the probability of dying by 3 folds as compared with the normal population.
Coronary heart disease commonly known as “heart attack” affects 2% of the general adult population. Coronary heart disease is reaching enormous proportions, striking more and more at younger people. Rheumatic heart disease affecting children 5 years and older, with fever, joint pains and heart disease, is a preventable ailment. A large number of children, born with heart disease, die in early years of life. Increased facilities for their treatment will improve this gloomy outlook. The proper care and advice during pregnancy will further reduce the number of children born with congenital ailments of the heart Concentrated efforts are, therefore, directed for its prevention.
The aim to issue a postage stamp on the occasion of the World Health Day 1972 is to create awareness in the society to have a clear, explicit and reasonable understanding of the problem of the heart disease and the need to do something about it.