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Join the World Heart Challenge, starting 1 November!

30 October, 2023

To mark the release of the WHF Policy Brief “More people, More active, More often for heart health – Taking action on physical activity”, the World Heart Federation is organizing a physical activity challenge on social media which aims to inspire people to get moving and make positive changes for their heart health. What is […]

WHF Policy Brief on Physical Activity: More people, More active, More often for heart health

30 October, 2023

Recent trends such as growth in motorised transport, sedentary work, labour-saving devices, urbanization and screen-based recreation have contributed to a dramatic decrease in physical activity: 28% of adults and more than three in four adolescents (81%) do not meet physical activity guidelines globally. Physical inactivity is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. WHO reports […]

Statement on Health emergency preparedness, response and resilience in the WHO European Region 2024–2029

23 October, 2023

This was a statement delivered at the 73rd Session of the World Health Organization RCM for the EURO Region.   Honourable Chair, distinguished delegates, On behalf of the European Heart Network and World Heart Federation, we thank you for this opportunity to jointly address the Regional Committee on one of the most critical subjects of […]

2023 Emerging Leaders cohort: Digital health and cardiovascular disease

20 October, 2023

The 2023 Emerging Leaders Seminar took place in Sydney, Australia and brought together a team of Emerging Leaders from 19 countries across five continents. Between 16 and 20 October 2023, 25 participants from 19 countries attended the ninth World Heart Federation (WHF) Salim Yusuf Emerging Leaders Seminar hosted by the University of Sydney in Sydney, […]

Hands, love and care touching in support, trust or unity for community, compassion or understanding. People holding hands in respect for loss, affection or passion for listening, talk or time

World Mental Health Day: How does mental wellbeing affect the heart?

10 October, 2023

Have you ever paused to consider how your emotional state is affecting your heart? Today, on World Mental Health Day, let’s take a moment to explore the profound connection between our psychological wellbeing and our overall physical health, particularly when it comes to the heart.  Mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, may lead […]

a medical professional in protective clothing is performing a check up on a young male patient

Revolutionizing CVD Data: Introducing the all-new World Heart Observatory

3 October, 2023

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the new and enhanced World Heart Observatory – your go-to global data hub for cardiovascular disease! The enhanced Observatory features an expanded repository, including data from the World Health Organization, The Lancet, the IHME Global Burden of Disease Study, NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, and more. In addition to […]

school children sat in a classroom reading heart health documentation

Calling attention to the burden of NCDs in children at UNGA78

30 September, 2023

This is a statement made at the Pan American Health Organization during the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York. Honorable Chair, Distinguished Delegates, On behalf of the American Heart Association, the InterAmerican Heart Foundation, the Interamerican Society of Cardiology, the Coalition for Americas’ Health and the World Heart Federation, we applaud the Pan […]

Ecuador leads global World Heart Day celebrations

30 September, 2023

The annual celebrations for World Heart Day 2023, aimed at promoting heart health and advocating for universal access to cardiovascular care, are in full swing in Quito, Ecuador. The comprehensive agenda of activities, organised by the Ecuadorian Society of Cardiology (SEC) in partnership with the World Heart Federation (WHF), encompasses a range of events such […]

#UseHeart movement rallies for change as heart disease continues to claim most lives

29 September, 2023

GENEVA, 29 September 2023 – This World Heart Day, the World Heart Federation (WHF) is urging all sectors and citizens to join forces and take down cardiovascular disease (CVD) from its “number one killer” position. Conditions of the heart or blood vessels including stroke and heart failure killed more than 20 million people in 2021 […]

WHF at UNGA78 in New York

28 September, 2023

Health was at the top of the global agenda the third week of September with three UN High-Level Meetings addressing Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention and Response (PPPR), and Tuberculosis. World Heart Federation Board Members Tom Gaziano and Diana Vaca Mcghie led the WHF delegation at the UN General Assembly, advocating for heart […]

Back view of a latin family of four standing outdoors, embracing and holding hands with the sky in the background.

FH Awareness Day 2023: Shedding light on a rare cardiovascular disease

24 September, 2023

Familial hypercholesterolemia, commonly referred to as FH, is a genetically inherited condition causing raised cholesterol from birth. Untreated, lifelong exposure to elevated concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol leads to premature heart disease and untimely deaths.   FH remains a severely underdiagnosed and undertreated disease that affects approximately 1 in 311 people or about 25 million […]