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Policy & Advocacy

The World Heart Federation is the principal representative body of the global cardiovascular community and works on its behalf to influence policies and create a world where people everywhere have access to the tools they need to live long, heart-healthy lives.

Global Advocacy

The World Heart Federation advocates on behalf of the cardiovascular community to bring CVD to the forefront of the global health agenda. In addition to supporting the capacity of our Members to advocate domestically, WHF is deeply engaged in policy advocacy at the international level, informing and influencing decision-makers in support of evidence-based policy change and implementation. Strategically located in Geneva, Switzerland, we work closely with the World Health Organization, NCD Alliance, and other international organizations to shape strong health policies and help find cost-effective solutions to reduce the global burden of CVD.

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World Heart Summit

Since 2016, World Heart Federation has been convening leaders and innovators in cardiovascular health at its annual World Heart Summit (previously the Global Summit on Circulatory Health). The Summit is an invitation-only event which brings together key leaders and innovators in government, business, civil society and academia to exchange knowledge, discover the latest innovations, and make surprise connections as we work together to elevate cardiovascular disease to the top of the global health agenda.

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Global Coalition for Circulatory Health

The Global Coalition for Circulatory Health was launched in 2017 at the WHO Global Conference on Noncommunicable Diseases in Montevideo, Uruguay. It brings together international, regional and national stakeholders in circulatory health to drive the urgent action needed to combat heart disease and stroke. The Global Coalition is open to any professional global, regional, and national civil society organization with a role in circulatory health.

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Policy Briefs

Our policy briefs present concise summaries of information that can help readers understand and make informed decisions about policies related to cardiovascular disease, associated risk factors and determinants of health. They provide objective summaries of relevant research, outline existing global policies, suggest possible approaches and argue for courses of action that governments should take when creating or considering policies to foster healthy environments in their country or region.

WHF Policy Brief on Front-of-Pack Labelling
Clean Air, Smart Cities, Healthy Hearts
E-cigarettes: A New Threat for Cardiovascular Health
The Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Cardiovascular Health: Myths and Measures
WHF Policy Brief On Physical Activity: More People, More Active, More Often For Heart Health
Nicotine And Cardiovascular Health: When Poison Is Addictive
Shot of a medical practitioner using a digital tablet in a hospital ward

Position Papers

Our position papers reflect our policy positions on a wide range of CVD-related issues. They are supported by scientific studies published in recognized journals and have a rigorous review and approval process. These papers generally include a review of data available on a specific subject, an evaluation on its relationship to overall cardiovascular disease science, and WHF recommendations on the basis of that evaluation within the context of global public health policy.

The Case for the Digital Transformation of Circulatory Health
Improving Access to Essential Medicines for All People: A Call to Action
Preventing the Next Pandemic: The Case for Investing in Circulatory Health

CVD Roadmaps

Our Roadmaps are designed and developed by international teams of experts who together identify challenges and offer solutions on specific topics impacting cardiovascular mortality. They can serve as models for regions and countries to develop their own Roadmaps and create or update their national non-communicable disease action plans. They offer a framework to bring together stakeholders with the objective of determining, prioritizing and implementing solutions to reduce premature CVD deaths in any context.

Atrial Fibrillation
Chagas Disease
Cholesterol
CVD in People Living with Diabetes
Digital Health in Cardiology
Heart Failure
Hypertension
Rheumatic Heart Disease
Secondary Prevention
Tobacco Control
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WHF Roundtables

Our Roundtables provide a national forum for stakeholders in cardiovascular health to identify barriers to and solutions for secondary and primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases and then develop national plans of action to be implemented in partnership with governments and policymakers, healthcare professionals, academic and research institutions, NGOs, health advocates, and corporate entities.

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Latest News

Advocating for a tobacco-free world at COP10

The World Heart Federation (WHF) proudly represented the global cardiovascular community at the Tenth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), held from 05 to 10 February 2024 in Panama City, Panama. Representatives from 142 Parties gathered to tackle a range of issues, from progress on […]

Tobacco

Addressing novel and emerging tobacco products at COP10

This is a statement delivered by the World Heart Federation at the 10th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC in Panama. Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, The World Heart Federation welcomes the latest reports on newer tobacco and nicotine products. For decades, the tobacco industry has perpetuated the myth that nicotine […]

Tobacco

Addressing global progress in implementation of the WHO FCTC at COP10

This is a statement delivered by the World Heart Federation at the 10th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC in Panama. Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, The World Heart Federation applauds the Parties for the progress made since 2021. Nevertheless, we note with concern that interference from the tobacco industry remains […]

Tobacco

WHF at the 154th WHO Executive Board

The World Heart Federation was an active presence throughout the 154th Executive Board (EB154) of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland from 22-27 January 2024. Advocacy Committee Chair Trevor Shilton and the members of the Policy and Advocacy Team participated throughout the week; in addition to meeting with numerous country delegations and fellow advocates […]

All Topics

Air Pollution

Air Pollution

Chagas Disease

Chagas Disease

Cholesterol

Cholesterol

COVID-19

COVID-19

Diabetes

Diabetes

Healthy Diet

Healthy Diet

Heart Failure

Heart Failure

Hypertension

Hypertension

Obesity

Obesity

Prevention

Prevention

Rheumatic Heart Disease

Rheumatic Heart Disease

Tobacco

Tobacco

Women & CVD

Women & CVD

The most common heart attack symptom, in both men and women, is some type of chest pain, pressure or discomfort. But chest pain is not always the most noticeable symptom, especially in women, who are more likely to experience it as pressure or tightness in the chest. They may even have no chest pain at […]