WORLD HEART FEDERATION

STRATEGY 2024-2026

As we enter a new strategic period, we are continuing our path to achieve cardiovascular health for everyone. The next three years represent a pivotal period in our ongoing journey – a journey marked not just by challenges, but by extraordinary opportunities to make lasting impacts in the lives of millions.

In this era of rapid change and emerging global health threats, our mission to beat cardiovascular disease (CVD) is more crucial than ever. With the knowledge that 80% of CVD is preventable, our strategy is both a call to action and a blueprint for meaningful change. We aim to inspire, innovate, and impact lives, leveraging our collective wisdom, diverse expertise, and global presence. Central to our 2024-2026 strategy is Vision 2030, a guiding light for our endeavors to prioritize cardiovascular health globally.

This strategy is not just a continuation of our past efforts; it is an evolution. It reflects our deepened understanding of the multifaceted nature of heart health, acknowledging the intricate interplay between individual health behaviours, societal factors, and systemic challenges in the areas of climate, environment, human rights, migration, conflict, and humanitarian crisis.

Our new strategy represents an ambitious commitment to innovation, capacity building, and collaboration. We are poised to harness the power of technology, forge new partnerships, and engage with a wider audience. Our aim is to not only respond to the current landscape but to proactively shape it, driving meaningful changes that last well beyond our current strategic cycle.

As we look towards the future, we do so with optimism and a firm belief in WHF’s role as convener and the power of collective action. The journey ahead will require persistence, creativity, and a shared vision. We are confident that together, we can rise to the occasion and make significant strides towards achieving cardiovascular health for all.

Daniel Piñeiro President 2023-2024

Jagat Narula President 2025-2026

SETTING THE STAGE

We live in a polycrisis era, where challenges are interconnected, and inequalities are mounting. The World Heart Federation (WHF) stands resolute in its commitment to drive change for a healthier global community.

With unwavering support from our dedicated Members, we embark on a strategic journey from 2024 to 2026, with a vision to achieve cardiovascular health for everyone. In the pursuit of this North star, our mission remains to unite the cardiovascular community, bridge science and policy and foster the exchange of knowledge.

We are facing the sobering reality of escalating cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related deaths, the number one killer in the world. The urgency of this issue underscores the importance of our mission. At the heart of our efforts is the knowledge that 80% of cardiovascular disease is preventable. Armed with this insight, we strive to tackle this crisis head-on and transform the lives of millions.

Through rigorous strategy workshops, discussions, and surveys with our Members, we have shaped a roadmap for the next three years. This strategy will ensure we enhance our impact, inspire change, and craft the future of cardiovascular health.

To ensure enduring support for the communities we serve, we are forging cross-sector alliances, strengthening existing ones, diversifying revenue streams, and empowering stakeholders to amplify our message. Drawing strength from the achievements of the previous strategic cycle, we are poised to usher in a new era, where everyone has access to the prevention, care, and treatment they need to be a healthy member of society. Working closely with its Members, WHF is committed to advocating for the development of national and regional CVD Action plans, adapted to the resources and needs of the country, and within the context of UHC. This strategic phase aligns with the ever- evolving landscape of health, technology, and information.

As we stand on the threshold of a transformative era in cardiovascular health, our strategy encapsulates the collective wisdom and ideas garnered from extensive consultations. WHF's global influence, diverse expertise, and wide-reaching presence position us to unlock accessible and affordable cardiovascular care for all.

A look back at WHF 2021-2023

Committed to becoming a global reference for cardiovascular health, collaborating widely, strengthening membership, and securing organizational growth, 2021-2023 saw WHF achieve some “firsts.”

WHF successfully steered through the uncertainties of the global pandemic, adapting to the challenges it presented.

We developed and conducted a COVID-19 and CVD study, hosted platforms for scientific and practical exchange between countries, and led a blog by WHF’s Emerging Leaders, entitled “The heart in the time of COVID-19.”

Navigating the Pandemic

In October 2022, WHF launched The World Heart Vision 2030, a pivotal beacon for change.

This visionary initiative has been set to guide both the global cardiovascular community and WHF in the coming years.

Within this initiative, with a sharpened focus on equity and health and environmental and climate policies, WHF is determined to address the socio-economic barriers impacting health and well-being, striving to ensure that comprehensive cardiovascular health services, from prevention and screening to treatment and follow-up, are accessible to everyone, everywhere.

The World Heart Vision 2030

WHF is committed to refining, populating, and promoting The World Heart Observatory, a comprehensive hub for data gathering, where physicians, scientists, researchers, journalists, and the public can tap into data that provides essential insight into cardiovascular diseases causes and prevalence.

Launched early in 2022, this initiative exemplifies WHF's collaborative spirit, as it works in partnership with organizations and garners growing support from mission-aligned advocates.

The World Heart Observatory

In May 2023, WHF published its inaugural World Heart Report, garnering significant media attention.

The report not only presents critical trends in cardiovascular health but also offers concrete recommendations.

Within the report, the WHF Policy Index identifies eight policies that will serve as a guiding framework for the development and assessment of CVD action plans by every country.

World Heart Report

As WHF's global flagship event, the World Heart Summit has continued to attract a growing and diverse audience, including representation from non-medical sectors.

The increased participation, support from organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and expansion of partners and industry support reflect its growing impact.

The summit serves as a platform for thought leaders, including Ministers of Health, experts, nurses' associations, patient groups, and specialists in digital health interventions, finance, and policy.

World Heart Summit

WHF's Roadmaps and policy briefs are setting the stage for national dialogues and Roundtables, making progress in addressing neglected cardiovascular diseases.

The Emerging Leaders Programme, completed by 200 participants from around the world by October 2022, reflects WHF's commitment to nurturing emerging talent.

Additionally, WHF brought together participants for the first World Congress on Rheumatic Heart Disease in November 2023.

WHF’s Impactful Initiatives

In Mozambique, WHF's Colours to Save Hearts programme has been instrumental in raising awareness of rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) among children, teachers, and parents.

The program reached 58,303 children aged 6 to 13, successfully trained 672 teachers and 755 peer educators, and provided training to 77 health professionals in the diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance of symptoms.

Colours to Save Hearts Programme

WHF has streamlined its organizational and governance structure by consolidating its two Committees and five Expert Groups, harnessing the expertise of over 80 volunteers from all continents.

Structural Consolidation

WHF's brand and global engagement efforts reflect its core values of care, equity, integrity, community, and aspiration.

The organization is making significant strides on external platforms, building rapport across various sectors, age groups, and regions, with followers numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

Effective outreach initiatives are drawing partners and changemakers, enhancing WHF's ability to forge stronger alliances with expanded audiences, as outlined in this strategy.

Global Engagement and Outreach

Current landscape and context

Poverty increase

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 revealed that 93 million more people fell into poverty in 2020, emphasizing the urgency of addressing inequalities in cardiovascular health care, prevention, treatment, and management.

Technological transformations

Rapid advancements in technology, including AI-based applications like chatGPT, and the evolving landscape of public communication platforms have significant implications for our work and are redefining the present and future of everyone.

Health and environment nexus

The interconnectedness of health and the environment is increasingly evident, with ongoing debates on climate change, air pollution, socio-economic determinants, and their impacts on cardiovascular health. WHF believes that planetary health underscores the vital need for holistic approaches to safeguard the well-being of both individuals and the broader ecosystem, reinforcing our commitment to advocating for comprehensive cardiovascular care and sustainable practices.

In this complex environment, WHF remains dedicated to securing institutional stability, expanding its reach, forging alliances with diverse sectors, engaging communities and influencers, and pursuing the approach outlined in the World Heart Vision 2030.

Our multifaceted portfolio in science, advocacy, and communications continues to prioritise equity, disease prevention, reducing premature mortality, and enhancing global health. It is time for action, time for transformation of entire systems, time for leadership, and time to succeed. WHF is ready to embrace a bolder responsibility for strong health systems and healthier hearts by 2026.

WHF Strategy 2024-2026: Summary table encompassing four goals and respective activities.

VISION

Cardiovascular health for everyone.

MISSION

Connect and lead the CVD community.
Translate science into policy.
Stimulate and catalyse the exchange of knowledge.

Alignment with Vision 2030 goals 1 and 4

1. Paving the way for cardiovascular health equity.
4. Placing cardiovascular health at the heart of health and climate policies.

WHF Strategic goals

1. Be the trusted authority on global cardiovascular health.

2. Catalyze global action for cardiovascular equity.

3. Empower Members to advocate for cardiovascular health

4. Ensure organizational sustainability.

impact

Advocate for, and support, the implementation of a national CVD action plan based on UHC, adapted to each country.
Contribute to supporting UN SDG 3.4 to reduce premature mortality through development of advocacy resources, scientific research, campaigns, and communications.

outcomes

Resources/
Knowledge

Through the Observatory, Global Heart journals, and global communications and engagement platforms, WHF is a reliable source of information, knowledge, and monitoring, proactive for CV health and demonstrating thought leadership.

Policy

Advocacy tools support the integration of CVD prevention and management in global/ regional/ national plans and in the context of UHC.

Financing

Optimal integration of CVD prevention and management and resource allocation within NCD national plans and UHC based on the national context.

Capacity

Further engage WHF Members, equipping them with knowledge, skills, and resources to raise the profile of CVD and ensure CVD action plans at the national and regional levels.

Organizational performance enablers

Members

Programmes

Partnerships

Communication

Governance

Evaluation

VISION

Cardiovascular health for everyone.

MISSION

Connect and lead the CVD community.
Translate science into policy.
Stimulate and catalyse the exchange of knowledge.

Alignment with Vision 2030 goals 1 and 4

1. Paving the way for cardiovascular health equity.
4. Placing cardiovascular health at the heart of health and climate policies.

WHF Strategic goals

1. Be the trusted authority on global cardiovascular health.

2. Catalyze global action for cardiovascular equity.

3. Empower Members to advocate for cardiovascular health

4. Ensure organizational sustainability.

impact

Advocate for, and support, the implementation of a national CVD action plan based on UHC, adapted to each country.
Contribute to supporting UN SDG 3.4 to reduce premature mortality through development of advocacy resources, scientific research, campaigns, and communications.

OUTCOMES

Resources/ Knowledge

Through the Observatory, Global Heart journals, and global communications and engagement platforms, WHF is a reliable source of information, knowledge, and monitoring, proactive for CV health and demonstrating thought leadership.

Policy

Advocacy tools support the integration of CVD prevention and management in global/ regional/ national plans and in the context of UHC.

Financing

Optimal integration of CVD prevention and management and resource allocation within NCD national plans and UHC based on the national context.

Capacity

Further engage WHF Members, equipping them with knowledge, skills, and resources to raise the profile of CVD and ensure CVD action plans at the national and regional levels.

Organizational performance enablers

Members

Programmes

Partnerships

Communication

Governance

Evaluation

Activities under the four strategic goals:

Be the trusted authority on global cardiovascular health

1.1 Serve as the go-to reference for information, knowledge, and policy in the global cardiovascular space, strengthening resources such as the World Heart Observatory, Global Heart Journal, Roadmaps, policy documents, communications, and campaigns.

1.2 Develop and align resources that further support for national CVD plans, informed by ongoing World Heart Report findings, and with established baselines to facilitate monitoring. Develop potential synergy between the NCD monitoring and response capacity work by WHO and the Observatory/CVD scorecards work.

1.3 Build on the gains of the World Heart Summit, organized in Geneva before the World Health Assembly. Increase its resonance as a global flagship event to shape the future of cardiovascular health, based on the World Heart Vision 2030.

Catalyze Global Action for Cardiovascular Equity

2.1 Place cardiovascular health at the top of global, regional, and national agendas, reinforcing and maintaining focus on equity, neglected cardiovascular conditions and maximum impact on CV disease.

2.2 Further develop global advocacy strategy based on Roadmaps and policy documents to identify implementable solutions and ensure quality of care.

2.3 Continue to support and advance the “25 by ’25” WHO agenda and UN SDG 3.4 goals, with partners of the GCCH and NCDA, by speaking to the health authorities (WHO and MoH), and also to the financial sector (World Bank and MoF) and other related agencies (Transport, Education), committed to multisectoral action outlined in the World Heart Vision 2030.

2.4 Develop advocacy work on preventable risk factors (socio-economic, environmental, and behavioural) through a coalition that includes our membership as well as others. Reinforce understanding of the connection between wider issues such as environmental quality and climate change and impacts on cardiovascular health especially of vulnerable communities.

2.5 Develop strategies and inspire grass-root movements to support a strong civil society drive for cardiovascular equity; expand the #UseHeart movement to sectors beyond the medical world, where all levels of society are involved and share the responsibility to achieve WHF vision of cardiovascular health for all.

Empower Members to advocate for cardiovascular health

3.1 Deploy strategies that support regional and national objectives and equip Members to create and implement regional/national CVD plans. Leveraging the success of our Emerging Leaders programme, develop capacity-building training on advocacy and communications.

3.2 Increase uptake of roadmaps and implementation of practical and clinical best practices in limited resources setting, including through clinical curriculum and educational resources.

3.3 Maximise public communications that brings the CV and wider community closer to WHF’s mission as a committed partner championing cardiovascular health for all. Broadcast a compelling narrative, stories and thought-provoking and moving content that resonate with diverse audiences. Strengthen WHF as a unifying force for global health, positioning our leadership, inspiring action, and promoting Members' work and impacts.

3.4 Maximise

Ensure organizational sustainability

4.1 Engage widely to better understand needs and opportunities in our diverse membership. Strengthen relationships with societies, through WCC, individuals, patient groups, and others, and leverage a wider network.

4.2 Ensure institutional fiscal responsibility. Consolidate and diversify revenue streams to sustain and advance work, ensuring robust reserves for future preparedness and contingencies.

4.3 Develop and nurture at all levels, an effective, transparent, and representative governance based on the Code of Conduct. Proactively seek to establish diverse professional leadership on the Board; maintain an effective team that functions optimally by developing operational guidance, policies and a human resources approach that inspires ambassadorship.

4.4 Expand the success of WHD and #UseHeart brand to attract new audiences and sectors beyond the medical world and medical industry, as well as new donors, philanthropists, and supporters.

World Heart Federation

32, rue de Malatrex

1201 Geneva

Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 512 0695

ABOUT

GET INVOLVED

KNOWLEDGE HUB

Cardiovascular disease

CONNECT

CVD is the leading cause of mortality and a major contributor to disability.

Globally, the estimated number of deaths due to CVDs increased from around 12.1 million in 1990 (equally distributed between males and females) to 18.6 million (9.6 million males and 8.9 million females) in 2019.

Figure 1:
Global trends in number of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, 1990-2019.

Source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). GBD Compare Data Visualization. Seattle, WA: IHME, University of Washington, 2020. Available from http://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare. (18 March 2023)