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Between 14 October and 22 November, the World Heart Federation challenged health professionals on the frontlines, policymakers, academics, and health advocates to “Act on Obesity” as part of its 6th World Heart Summit. Following five global and regional webinars and an in-person Summit in Mombasa, Kenya, convened under the leadership of Profs. Liesl Zühlke and […]

Iron deficiency is present in one-third of the world’s population. However, heart failure patients are disproportionately affected – up to fifty percent of people living with chronic heart failure are iron deficient.   Despite being a strong independent predictor of heart failure outcomes, it is often neglected. It is therefore recommended by the European Society of Cardiology that all heart failure […]

This is a statement made at the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC (COP9) on agenda item 3: Global Progress in the Implementation of the WHO FCTC. Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, The World Heart Federation welcomes the progress report and applauds the Convention Secretariat for its leadership […]

Hypertension affects over 1 billion people worldwide. The global health care savings from effective management of blood pressure alone have been estimated at $100 billion per year, yet investment in hypertension programs remains low, especially where resources and staff are limited. Many deaths from hypertension are preventable, but hypertension care remains underfunded and under prioritized. […]

This is a statement made at the 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific Region on non-communicable diseases. The World Heart Federation welcomes the attention accorded to NCDs on this year’s agenda, and we pledge our support to WPRO member states to rise to the challenge and prioritise the prevention and control of NCDs in line with the […]

This is a statement made at the 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific Region during the panel discussion on primary health care. Honourable Chair, distinguished delegates,  Thank you for the opportunity to deliver this statement by the World Heart Federation. We welcome the Committee’s Report, and its emphasis on the devastating impact […]

This is a statement made at the 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific Region on the COVID-19 pandemic. Honourable Chair, distinguished delegates,  The World Heart Federation thanks you for this opportunity to address the Regional Committee on one of the most critical subjects of our time.  The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an incalculable toll on the mental and physical health of our societies; the fiscus has been negatively […]

This is a statement made at the 72nd Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific Region on climate change, environment and health. Air pollution is one of the most important risk factors for heart attack, stroke, diabetes and respiratory diseases, and exposure to air pollution has also been linked with increased vulnerability […]

Guest post: Professor Laurence Sperling, Katz Professor in Preventive Cardiology and Professor of Global Health, Founder of The Heart Disease Prevention Center at Emory University and Past-President of The American Society for Preventive Cardiology. The heart is not the first organ we think of during influenza (flu) season. Yet, although influenza impacts the respiratory system, […]

GENEVA (18 October 2021) – In a new policy brief, the World Heart Federation (WHF) is calling on governments to implement strict regulations on e-cigarettes in a determined effort to stop the e-cigarette epidemic in its tracks. Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, have become an increasingly popular alternative to conventional cigarettes, particularly among young […]

This is a statement made at the 68th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean on Addressing diabetes as a public health challenge in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, The World Heart Federation applauds the WHO for its leadership in addressing diabetes worldwide and welcomes the adoption of […]