Our History

The World Heart Federation was originally formed in 1978 by a merger of the International Society of Cardiology (ISC) and the International Cardiology Federation (ICF), under the name of the International Society and Federation of Cardiology (ISFC). In 1998 the ISFC changed its name to the World Heart Federation and since then we have grown to become a cornerstone of the cardiovascular health field, currently working with more than 200 members and partners around the world.

In 1996, an agreement between UNESCO, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Heart Federation instigated ongoing cooperation on different projects, such as the prevention of rheumatic fever and heart disease, Chagas’ disease and risk factors in school-age children in developing countries

The World Heart Federation is now recognized by the World Health Organization as its leading NGO partner in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and we are a close partner of the World Health Organization’s department of Noncommunicable Diseases.