Dear Friends and Colleagues,

What a year! While setting fresh goals, here are just a few highlights, among many, to inspire our next milestones together.

WHF launched its flagship World Heart Report mapping the state of cardiovascular health, with in-depth analysis of cardiovascular risk and mortality data worldwide, and a new policy index to guide decision-making.

In addition, the report looked at country-level policy implementation, put forward crucial recommendations to mitigate cardiovascular disease (CVDs), and featured a policy index based on key criteria.

The newly expanded World Heart Observatory is sourced with data from the World Health Organization, The Lancet, the IHME Global Burden of Disease Study, NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, and more.

EMERGING LEADERS 2023 COHORT

This year, 25 participants from 19 countries attended the ninth WHF Salim Yusuf Emerging Leaders Seminar hosted by the University of Sydney, Australia, this time focusing on digital health interventions.

Our leaders from this innovative programme now number close to 200, making up a community of pioneers of all backgrounds and ages, tackling CVD and health.

WORLD HEART SUMMIT

Ministers, researchers, practitioners, patients, industry leaders, WHF members and NGOs were among more than 350 participants from 80 countries at the World Heart Summit.

This diversity made for in-depth discussions on cross-cutting aspects of investment, policy, care, and the socioeconomic factors that affect cardiovascular health outcomes. The first-time Summit app was popular among onsite and online attendees.

“Good to hear about social determinants of health. Where we live, work, learn and play along with emotional determinants are key to ensure CVD health for everyone!”

“We absolutely have to talk about social determinants, but we can't forget about the COMMERCIAL determinants of health, which have huge impacts on #CVD risk”

FIRST RHD CONGRESS

More than 400 participants from 55 countries registered for the inaugural World Congress on Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Global experts on rheumatic heart disease (RHD) discussed the latest research with a focus on solutions to end rheumatic heart disease once and for all.

WHF launched the 2023 WHF Guidelines for the Echocardiographic Diagnosis of Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), also published in Nature Reviews Cardiology, and which define the minimum echocardiographic criteria for diagnosing RHD.

The Congress offered more than 50 symposia, plenary sessions, interactive poster sessions, a patient panel, and a film screening.

World Congress of Cardiology

In March, ACC.23 together with the World Congress of Cardiology brought together 17,000 healthcare professionals, researchers, and health advocates from around the world, both in person and virtually.

The joint editorial 'One World, One Heart' by WHF President Daniel Piñeiro and ACC President Edward Fry in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology summed up the collaboration:

“Addressing and reducing the global burden of CVD requires a global solution, bringing together the best minds, best research, best education, and best advocacy through collaborative and creative partnerships. The ACC and WHF are proud and committed to work together, recognizing we are one world with one heart.”

WHF President Daniel Piñeiro and ACC President Edward Fry

POLICY BRIEFS

As part of the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health, a position paper “The Road to Universal Health Coverage was released this year. WHF also launched briefs such as “Physical Activity: More People, More Active, More Often for Heart Health,” and in November, “Nicotine and Cardiovascular Health: When Poison is Addictive.”

With a strong global brand and wide expertise, we urge cardiovascular care for everyone.

Four overarching goals of the WHF strategy 2024-2026 will guide us to continue:

TOP TWEETS

To all our supporters @worldheartfed, and to all our partners and sponsors, we say a heartfelt

THANK YOU!