World Heart Federation


MEMBER INVOLVEMENT IN DELIVERING OUR STRATEGY

Over the past decade, the World Heart Federation has increased its membership by adding more than 70 new members. Today, we have more than 200 members across the world, each being an organization carrying out valuable work to promote heart health and fight cardiovascular disease globally and nationally.

As part of the recent strategy development process, the World Heart Federation interviewed many member associations to ensure their voices and views were taken into account as the strategy was revised. These interviews provided valuable input and insight into the process, and will ensure that the World Heart Federation can work effectively with its members to lead global efforts to fight heart disease and stroke.

The feedback from members was positive; members highly value their role and involvement in delivering the strategic goals and strategy. They identified the following, as some of the key areas where the World Heart Federation adds value:

  • exchanging best-practices
  • partnering for a common goal
  • lobbying
  • involvement in scientific meetings and access to scientific information
  • campaign toolkits and participation

A number of members also indicated that they were keen to work more closely with the World Health Organization both regionally and at a national level. They also placed a high priority on the prevention of cardiovascular disease through awareness building and advocacy.

Members are keen to see their local activities closely connected to the World Heart Federation strategic goals, and to ensure that they contribute towards the bigger picture. Regional associations, such as the European Heart Network, also have an important role in ensuring that advocacy efforts and policy development in Europe contribute to international policy development.

Involvement with the World Heart Federation also brings a number of benefits to national organizations, according to those interviewed during the process. Best-practice sharing and learning from activities carried out by other members were at the top of the list of benefits identified by members. The World Heart Federation also provides its members with reference points for cardiovascular health, best-practice guidelines and access to respected spokespeople on cardiovascular health issues.

  

Quotes from our members

  • Working together with the World Heart Federation to promote awareness of heart disease and stroke will ensure that our organization will reach a wider audience and therefore achieve their goals.
    Arrythmia Alliance, UK     (www.arrhythmiaalliance.org.uk)
  • Having a global World Heart Federation strategy would support our work in Australia and it would provide an overarching umbrella for government advocacy work across the Asia Pacific Region. 
    National Heart Foundation of Australia     (www.heartfoundation.org.au)
  • We will adopt the World Heart Federation strategy [and work] to meet these goals.
    Nigerian Heart Foundation     (www.nigerianheart.org)
  • As a founding member of the World Heart Federation and one of its most ardent supporters, the AHA is totally supportive of the World Heart Federation’s efforts with regards to the goals identified.
    American Heart Association     (www.my.americanheart.org)
  • As President of the Nepal Heart Foundation and Cardiac Society of Nepal and as an activist against heart disease for the past 30 years, I want to be involved to the maximum in World Heart Federation programmes. I am quite optimistic, but we must work hard. We have to do a lot and which can be done with a great team of sincere and dedicated people
    Nepal Heart Foundation/Cardiac Society of Nepal (www.nepalheart.org)
  • We certainly will continue to support the mission and vision of World Heart Federation. To reach the goals we believe effective public relations, multi media help and public awareness will be useful. Ordinary people read and believe in celebrities’ stories. We have to convince the much appreciated ones to speak for us.
    Turkish Heart Foundation     (www.tkv.org.tr)
  • [We will] continue to work with the World Heart Federation and promote national participation in World Heart Day, Go Red for Women and projects focusing on heart healthy diet and physical activity, as well as a tobacco free world.
    Chinese Society of Cardiology     (www.heart.org.cn)
  • As members of World Heart Federation we are proud to contribute to a global approach of disease and its prevention.  World Heart Federation is also a label for local activities.
    Belgian Heart League     (www.liguecardiologique.be)
  • [World Heart Federation can help] by linking us, once in a while with other mature & developed Heart Organizations, where sharing of information will be key to learning from each other.
    Kenyan Heart National Foundation (www.kenyanheart.or.ke)
  • Fresh ideas and programmes are always needed and welcomed.  Further, having the World Heart Federation voice supporting our efforts provides additional credibility to the efforts, particularly in regard to advocacy to policy makers.
    Japanese Circulation Society     (www.j-circ.or.jp)