At the forefront of everything we do are people – people living with cardiovascular disease, people treating cardiovascular disease, people working to prevent cardiovascular disease… We are here to tell their stories in an effort to help others live longer, happier, healthier lives.
Storytelling
The beat of change: rheumatic heart disease in Mozambique
Reforming rural healthcare: hypertension in Kenya
From small steps to systemic shifts
Voices of Chagas: A disease that knows no borders
HEART HEROES
Cardiologists, healthcare professionals, policymakers, patients and their family members and friends are the heroes among us – battling, treating and beating heart disease.
Throughout the year, WHF celebrates Heart Heroes by writing the unique stories of people and teams dedicated and committed to improving cardiac health and reducing cardiovascular disease.
Beats Of change
Heart disease is the leading cause of death around the world, yet its impact is not evenly felt. Some communities face greater risks and fewer resources, making the journey to prevention, treatment, and recovery much harder. But behind every statistic is a human story—and it’s through these stories that real change begins.
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Happy Hearts, Happy Minds
The link between mental health and cardiovascular disease is undeniable, yet often overlooked. Conditions like depression, anxiety, and stress not only influence how we feel but also affect how our hearts function. Poor mental health can lead to lifestyle habits that increase the risk of heart disease, and in turn, living with a heart condition can worsen mental health due to the stress of managing a chronic illness.
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USE ❤️ TO BREATHE
Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is one form of pulmonary hypertension, where blood vessels in the lungs are narrowed, blocked or destroyed1. It is a rare, life-threatening disease with a poor prognosis.
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Use ❤️ to Act Now on Angina
More than 100 million people globally are affected by angina, which manifests in a variety of ways. For this reason, symptoms may be hard to recognize and patients often remain undiagnosed and untreated.
This global campaign aims to increase awareness of angina and its symptoms in order to facilitate early detection and implement optimal angina management.
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USE ❤️ TO stop flu
Seasonal influenza, commonly called the flu, is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses which circulate in all parts of the world. Following the onset of infection, people with cardiovascular disease are at higher risk of stroke and heart attacks.
This global campaign aims to increase awareness of the risks caused by the flu for people with cardiovascular disease and its most cost-effective preventive action: influenza vaccination.
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Use ❤️ to Season with Sense
Unhealthy diets are a leading global public health risk, contributing to a rise in obesity and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. In the current food environment, dietary patterns have shifted, and people are consuming more foods high in saturated fats, trans fat, sugar or sodium.
This global campaign aims to make more people aware of the negative effects that consuming too much sodium can have on our health.
Colours to Save Hearts
RHD is the most commonly acquired heart disease in people under 25
Colours to Save Hearts is an initiative aimed at raising awareness of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) among children, teachers and parents, and educate them about the link between sore throat and rheumatic heart disease, how to recognise symptoms and what to do when they first appear.
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Heart to Heart
Inviting conversation to change our ways and beat CVD
Heart to Heart is a new series of debates which bring together expert voices from different sectors and disciplines around the world. As the leader of the global heart community, we want to open a conversation about changing our ways as societies and individuals to beat cardiovascular disease. And as CVD continues to be the biggest cause of death on the planet, it’s the world’s most urgent conversation to have.
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GUARDIANS FOR HEALTH Lighthouse Award
Improving cardiovascular and renal outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of premature cardiovascular mortality and a significant risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease. However, less than 10% of people living with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease receive all guideline-recommended treatments.
This award, funded by Boehringer Ingelheim, recognizes healthcare professionals’ efforts to reduce the burden of cardiovascular and kidney disease in type 2 diabetes.
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World Heart Podcast
Conversations from the Heart, presented by WHF Senior Science Advisor Dr Pablo Perel and Communications Director Borjana Pervan
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World Heart Awards
The World Heart Awards are all about celebrating organizations and individuals who have gone above and beyond in their quest to fight cardiovascular disease and promote heart health around the world.
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World Heart Grants
Our World Heart Grants support our Members’ efforts to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease in their communities, reduce its burden and impact, and help people live longer, healthier lives.
Learn moreUpcoming health awareness days
View Events Calendar13 October 2025
World Thrombosis Day
16 October 2025
World Food Day
26 October 2025
World Amyloidosis Day
Latest News
Strengthening Women’s Leadership and Representation in Health Systems
This statement was delivered by Ms. Fernanda de Carvalho, our Advocacy Committee member for PAHO, at the Seventy-Seventh Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Americas PAHO GENDER EQUALITY POLICY: PROGRESS REPORT AGENDA ITEM 7.8B Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, The World Heart Federation welcomes the Progress Report on PAHO’s Gender Equality Policy. We […]
World Heart Grants 2025 winners announced
We are thrilled to announce the 10 WHF Member organisations selected to receive World Heart Grants of up to CHF 2,000 for World Heart Day 2025 activations, including media campaigns, fundraising events, awareness initiatives, concerts, sporting activities, and marathon runs. Congratulations to all the grantees! World Heart Grants 2025 – Winners Brazilian Society of Cardiology (Brazil) […]
From Commitment to Implementation: Accelerating Cardiovascular Action in the Americas Beyond the UN HLM
This statement was delivered by Ms. Fernanda de Carvalho, our Advocacy Committee member for PAHO, at the Seventy-Seventh Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Americas. PLAN OF ACTION ON NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASE PREVENTION AND CONTROL 2025-2030 AGENDA ITEM 4.5 Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, The World Heart Federation welcomes the regional Plan of […]
WHF Comment: Outcome of the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs and Mental Health in New York
It is truly regretful that a couple of governments did not join the majority who chose to endorse the UN’s Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health, particularly on critical issues like gender and taxation, which is one of the most effective measures to curb NCDs. At the same time, we are encouraged by […]
