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(Circulation. 1999;99:986-989.)
© 1999 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cardiovascular News

International Cooperation in World Cardiology

The Role of the World Heart Federation

Antoní Bayés de Luna, MD, President, World Heart Federation

From the World Heart Federation, Geneva, Switzerland.

Correspondence to Antoní Bayés de Luna, MD, Federation Mondiale du Coeur, PO Box 117, CH 1211 Geneva 12, Switzerland.

From Past to Future

The World Heart Federation is the new name of the International Society and Federation of Cardiology (ISFC), as approved by the General Assembly, which met during the World Congress of Cardiology in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in April 1998. The organization was formed in 1978 by a merger of the International Society of Cardiology (a professional organization founded in 1946, with a worldwide membership of national societies of cardiology) and the International Cardiology Federation (an association of heart foundations set up in 1970 to promote fund-raising for research, professional, and public education and community programs). The new World Heart Federation therefore has >50 years' experience fighting heart disease throughout the world. At present, it brings together national societies of cardiology and heart foundations from 81 countries, as well as "continental" members covering the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

In recent years, the World Heart Federation has worked in 2 ways: (1) through its scientific councils, which are engaged in many projects, some of them with the World Health Organization (WHO); and (2) through its heart foundations, now grouped in continental associations, which are very active in public education relating to all aspects of heart health. The fight against tobacco use is 1 important aim of our organization. Very recently, the World Heart Federation has taken a firm position against any settlement with the tobacco companies proposed by the United States of America, which does not give equal treatment to citizens of the United States and citizens of other . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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