Press Release

Brussels, 10 December 2025

The European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH) today opened the EACH Cardiovascular Health Summit in Brussels, bringing together policymakers, clinicians, patients, researchers, and industry leaders at a decisive time for cardiovascular health in Europe. With the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan set for publication on 16 December, the Summit provides a timely forum to reflect on the work that has led to this milestone and to begin shaping the next steps for implementation and investment across Member States.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death and disability in the EU, affecting over 62 million people and costing the European economy more than €282 billion annually. This burden underscores the urgent need for coordinated action at both European and national levels to advance prevention, strengthen early detection, and improve access to high-quality care.

Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi sets the tone for a transformative moment in cardiovascular health

The Summit featured a keynote address from Olivér Várhelyi, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, who spoke about the Commission’s vision for cardiovascular health and the opportunity presented by the forthcoming EU Cardiovascular Health Plan.

Commissioner Várhelyi stated:

“Next week, we will adopt the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan under the name Safe Hearts Plan. Successful implementation can only be achieved through robust, long-term funding. A micro-levy on unhealthy food, following the polluterpays principle, will help mitigate the impact of CVD on society and finance the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan.”

EACH welcomes the Commissioner’s commitment and stands ready to work with the Commission, Member States, and all stakeholders to ensure that the vision outlined today translates into concrete, lasting improvements for citizens across Europe.

Summit discussions reflect the three pillars of action needed across Europe

• Prevention: Promoting healthy lifestyles, tackling modifiable risk factors, and supporting Member States in developing national cardiovascular health plans.
• Early Detection and Screening: Advancing timely identification of at-risk individuals through harmonised protocols, mobile outreach, and digital tools.
• Treatment and Care: Improving access to integrated, person-centered care, rehabilitation, and innovative therapies, while addressing persistent health inequalities.

Speakers also underscored ongoing inequalities across Europe, gender gaps in diagnosis and treatment, and the importance of integrating mental health into cardiovascular care. As the EU prepares to launch the Cardiovascular Health Plan, the first day of the Summit highlighted the shared determination of policymakers, health professionals, and patient representatives to drive meaningful progress. Together, we can reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases, improve quality of life, and ensure that every person in Europe has the opportunity to live longer, healthier lives.

Note to the editor

The European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (EACH) brings together leading European and international organisations around joint activities to promote cardiovascular health as a policy priority at EU level.
Media Enquiries:
Sophie Millar – smillar@esccardio.org
Alessandra Boschi – aboschi@ehnheart.org
cardiovascular-alliance.eu

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These issues are closely connected: the tobacco industry contributes to deforestation, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions, while cigarette filters continue to be a major source of toxic waste, including plastic pollution. Simultaneously, climate change amplifies cardiovascular risk through air pollution, extreme heat, and disruptions to food security and healthcare systems – risks feel most acutely in low- and middle-income countries, where 90% of air-pollution–related deaths occur. 

From 17 to 22 November 2025, over 1,600 delegates from 160 Parties and civil society organisations gathered in Geneva for the Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to negotiate a wide range of tobacco control measures.  

WHF delegates delivered three statements to address: 

• Global Progress in Implementation of the WHO FCTC;  

• Protection of the Environment and the Health of Persons; and  

• Measures to Prevent and Reduce Tobacco Consumption, Nicotine Addiction, and Exposure to Tobacco Smoke. 

We urged Parties to accelerate implementation of Article 14, strengthening healthcare professionals’ capacity to deliver tobacco and nicotine cessation support and expand access to evidence-based treatments for nicotine and tobacco dependence. We highlighted that newer tobacco and nicotine products carry heightened cardiovascular risks, and that WHO Model List of Essential Medicines remain the safest and most effective pharmacological tools.  

WHF expressed particular concerns regarding limited progress on Article 5.3, which exposes global tobacco control policies to critical vulnerabilities. We called on Parties to firmly reject the tobacco industry’s so-called “harm reduction” narrative and reinforce action on Article 5.3 to protect public health from tobacco industry interference. 

Building on this advocacy, WHF co-hosted the side event Turning Commitments into Care: Accelerating Article 14 Implementation, together with the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, the Republic of Panama, Malaysia, the WHO FCTC Knowledge Hub on Article 14, the World Health Organization, Action on Smoking and Health US, Global Alliance for Tobacco Control, InterAmerican Heart Foundation, International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations, Union for international Control, and Vital Strategies. 

WHF applauds the Conference of the Parties for adopting key decisions to strengthen global tobacco control in the face of persistent tobacco industry interference. In particular, we welcome the adoption of: 

• Decision on Article 2.1, which invites Parties to consider adopting forward-looking tobacco control measures, such as Tobacco-Free Generation strategies; 

• Decision on Article 18, which invites Parties to consider regulatory options to further protect the environment from the harm of tobacco; 

• Decision on Article 19, which invite Parties to consider strengthening its implementation through a set of recommendations and policy options; and 

• Decision on Domestic Resource Mobilization, which reaffirms the importance of sustainable resources for national tobacco control. 

Tobacco and climate change are not separate threats—they are interlinked drivers of cardiovascular disease. Fossil fuel combustion, urban air pollution, and rising global temperatures exacerbate heart disease risks, creating cumulative burdens alongside tobacco use. In recognition of this, WHF and Instituto Lado a Lado pela Vida issued a joint open letter ahead of COP30, urging governments to place cardiovascular health at the centre of climate commitments. 

While the World Heart Federation did not have official representation at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held from 10 to 21 November, we welcomed the long-awaited political visibility of health, notably through the release of the Belém Health Action Plan (BHAP). Endorsed by over 40 countries and multiple civil society organisations, the BHAP represents the first global strategy aimed at helping health systems adapt to climate impacts. Its emphasis on climate justice and early warning systems supports communities, particularly people living with CVD and chronic conditions, in preparing for and minimizing the health impacts of climate events. Yet these measures alone cannot compensate for the lack of ambition on mitigation, without which adaptation will never be sufficient. WHF regrets that: 

• The BHAP received no financial commitments from governments, when, according to World Bank projections, climate change could cause up to 15.6 million additional deaths and USD 15.4 trillion in health costs by 2050 if decisive action is not taken.

• The absence of any direct reference to cardiovascular disease in the BHAP, despite overwhelming evidence that climate change is already a major driver of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality: air pollution caused an estimated 8 million premature deaths in 2023 with half from heart disease and stroke ; while heat-related deaths have risen 23% since the 1990s, and cardiovascular mortality during heatwaves can increase up to seven-fold.

• The BHAP does not address fossil fuel phase-out, the primary driver of both climate change and air pollution.

To protect cardiovascular health, WHF continues to urge governments to: 

• Implement the Belém Health Action Plan and close the health adaptation finance gap with dedicated resources. 

• Integrate cardiovascular health into climate and tobacco control strategies. 

• Phase out fossil fuels in a fair and equitable manner. 

• Adopt and implement the WHO Air Quality Guidelines. 

• Explicitly recognise cardiovascular disease, the world’s leading cause of death, in future climate and health frameworks. 

• Protect policies from commercial and vested interests, including the tobacco and fossil fuel industries. 

• Prioritise vulnerable populations, including people with NCDs, children, older adults, and marginalised communities. 

Whether advancing tobacco control at COP11 or advocating for climate-related health protection around COP30, WHF emphasizes that cardiovascular health must remain a central priority in global policy. By addressing tobacco and undertaking climate action, the global community can prevent millions of premature cardiovascular deaths and move closer to achieving cardiovascular health for everyone, everywhere. 

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Madame Chair,

Distinguished Delegates,

The World Heart Federation applauds Parties for reaffirming their commitments under Articles 5.2(b) and 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Tobacco cessation remains one of the most effective interventions to prevent and reduce tobacco consumption, nicotine addiction, and exposure to tobacco smoke.

The tobacco industry has a long history of systematic and deliberate interference in public health, science, and policymaking, consistently prioritizing profits over human lives. In recent years, it has sought to create harmful controversy and perpetuate nicotine addiction through misleading health claims, industry-funded research, and its so-called “harm reduction” narrative.

Independent research shows that newer tobacco and nicotine products have limited effectiveness for cessation outside controlled settings. Evidence also indicates that heated tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems are associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease and other health harms. To date, medications listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines remain the most effective pharmacological treatments for cessation, with well-established long-term safety and protocols proven to achieve tobacco and nicotine abstinence.

There is a fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the tobacco industry’s interest and public health policy interest.

WHF urges all Parties and stakeholders to reject the tobacco industry’s “harm reduction” narrative and fully implement the Framework Convention, ensuring real, genuine, progress towards reducing tobacco-related harm.

Thank you.

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Honourable Chair,

Distinguished Delegates,

The World Heart Federation commends Parties for the progress made in protecting the environment from tobacco-related harms and product waste.

The impact of tobacco on the environment remains insufficiently recognized. For decades, the tobacco industry has sought to greenwash its reputation through so-called corporate social responsibility schemes. Nonetheless, extensive evidence shows that tobacco harms our planet throughout its entire lifecycle – from cultivation, to manufacture, distribution, consumption, and disposal.

The industry contributes directly to air pollution, carbon emissions, deforestation, water contamination, soil degradation, and climate change, all of which adversely affect human health, including cardiovascular health.

Cigarette filters continues to be a major source of toxic waste, including plastic pollution, despite evidence showing that plastic cigarette filters provide no health benefits. Newer tobacco and nicotine product contribute further, creating both plastic and battery waste.

WHF urges Parties to fully implement the Framework Convention, particularly leverage extended producer liability measures, adopt the draft decision, and consider applying measures to newer tobacco and nicotine products.

Thank you.

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Madam President,

Distinguished Delegates,

The World Heart Federation and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) commend Parties for the strides made since 2023.

Tobacco remains a major – yet entirely preventable – risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, especially cardiovascular disease and cancer. To accelerate progress, we urge all Parties to strengthen comprehensive tobacco control measures, including reducing demand through strong tax policies and public education programmes.

We also welcome the focus on Article 14 and its Guidelines as a priority for implementation. Strengthening healthcare professionals’ capacity, ensuring access to evidence-based cessation medications, and leveraging digital solutions are essential to accelerate tobacco and nicotine cessation.

Nonetheless, we note with concern that implementation of the Framework Convention remains uneven. Limited progress on Article 5.3 continues to expose global tobacco control to critical vulnerabilities. Tobacco industry interference remains the main barrier to the implementation of the treaty. The industry has a long history of systematic and deliberate interference in public health, science, and policymaking, creating harmful controversy through misleading health claims, industry-funded research, and its so-called “harm reduction” narrative. Evidence shows that heated tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems are associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer,  and other health harms.

The industry has also aggressively targeted young people with misinformation, enticing flavours, and attractive designs – especially in low- and middle-income countries – in calculated efforts to secure the next generation of consumers, as newer tobacco and nicotine products are designed to both initiate and sustain nicotine addiction.

WHF and UICC believe that everyone, everywhere – from childhood to adulthood – has a right to be protected from the catastrophic health, social, economic, and environmental impacts of tobacco. We applaud Parties that have voluntarily extended the scope of FCTC provisions to newer tobacco and nicotine products.

We urge all Parties and stakeholders to fully implement the Framework Convention, with a particular emphasis on Article 5.3, to protect public health from the commercial and vested interests of the industry. Experience shows that greatest progress has been achieved by Parties that actively and consistently counter industry interference.

Thank you.

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Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) affects more than 40 million people worldwide and contributes to nearly 2% of all cardiovascular deaths. It remains the most common cause of acquired heart disease among people under 25 years of age. Although virtually eliminated in Europe and North America, RHD continues to disproportionally affect settings where poverty, overcrowding, and barriers to healthcare persist, including underserved areas within Australia and across the South Pacific. More than 11,000 Australians are currently on acute rheumatic fever (ARH) and RHD medical registries, and over 90% of ARF diagnoses occur among Indigenous children.

The second edition of the Congress will convene leading researchers, clinicians, policymakers, community advocates, and people living with RHD to accelerate practical, evidence-based solutions aimed at ending rheumatic heart disease once and for all. WHF President, Professor Jagat Narula, welcomed the selection of Perth, emphasizing the urgent need for global action on a disease rooted in social and economic inequity:

“Rheumatic heart disease is a preventable disease that claims the lives and futures of too many young people, especially in disadvantaged communities in the Global South, including in Australia and across the Pacific. Building on the success of the First World Congress on RHD that was held in Abu Dhabi in 2023, we are honored to be joining forces with the Heart Foundation of Australia, our co-hosts for the Second World Congress on RHD in Perth. The 40 million people living with the disease deserve global attention, which would help us accelerate proven measures to diagnose, treat and prevent RHD. We at the World Heart Federation continue to champion the global efforts to finally consign this disease to history.”

David Lloyd, CEO of the Heart Foundation of Australia and WHF Vice-President-elect, said the Congress represents vital momentum toward Australia’s goal of eliminating RHD by 2031:

“Rheumatic fever and heart disease are the result of disadvantage. We know how to eradicate it: we just need support to make it happen. Today’s announcement by the World Heart Federation, along with the support of government and philanthropy to bring this Congress to Australia, gives me immense hope that we will continue to make strides towards eradicating RHD.”

Today’s announcement by the World Heart Federation was celebrated by Western Australian Minister for Medical Research, Stephen Dawson, Heart Foundation CEO David Lloyd, and eminent Perth-based RHD researcher Professor Jonathan Carapetis AM, in an event at The Kids Institute this morning.

WHF remains committed to addressing RHD as a matter of both health and social justice. Through global advocacy, including support for the 2018 Global Resolution on Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease, the launch of the 2023 WHF Echocardiographic Guidelines, and community education initiatives such as Colours to Save Hearts, WHF continues to champion early detection, prevention, and equitable access to care.

The 2026 World Congress on RHD is supported by the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the Government of Western Australia, the Leducq Foundation, Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, the American Heart Association, the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand, Business Events Perth, and Business Events Australia.

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Originally published in Frontiers Policy Labs
Mbakwem A. Precision cardiovascular medicine: a time for global health leadership. Policy Outlook. Published October 14, 2025.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25453/plabs.30354343
© 2025 Author(s). Republished under CC BY.

Prof Amam Mbakwem

Professor of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria
Vice President, World Heart Federation

Cardiovascular health for all demands national action plans that integrate precision approaches based on globally representative research—enabled by leadership committed to equitable access and context-relevant implementation.

Read further: Frontiers in Science article hub
Published on: October 14th, 2025

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a story of both progress and missed opportunities. While recent decades have seen decreasing CVD mortality rates, progress has been unequal across world regions and has recently stagnated in some countries. Meanwhile CVD remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and hundreds of millions of people with hypertension, the leading risk factor, remain undiagnosed (1,2). The insightful discussions of precision cardiovascular medicine in the Frontiers in Science lead article by Aikawa and colleagues (3), and implementation perspectives provided by Medina-Inojosa and colleagues (4), similarly highlight both significant opportunities for progress, but also the risk of leaving that potential unfulfilled.

The potential is clear for all to see. Precision technologies offer new avenues for treatment, changing the lives of patients through therapies that are better adapted to their specific circumstances and pathology. For the World Heart Federation (WHF), an organization whose vision is “cardiovascular health for everyone”, this promise resonates deeply.

However, as we regularly see in issues of health, the effectiveness of new technologies is not in itself enough. These technologies must be both developed and implemented in an equitable way. WHF’s vision of “cardiovascular health for all” is necessarily underpinned by pillars of technological innovation and equitable implementation. The need for innovation to be coupled with concerted efforts to ensure fair access is reflected in an insightful framework for implementing precision cardiovascular medicine provided by Medina-Inojosa and colleagues (4), which holds a clear message: equity-first policies must be central to all development and implementation of precision tools, otherwise they risk exacerbating inequalities rather than reducing them. To benefit all populations, precision tools need to reflect all populations in their inputs, need to be applied with a preventive mindset, and need to be accessible in low-resource settings (4).

We therefore have before us the scientific knowledge and policy levers guiding the most appropriate path forward. What is now needed is global and local leadership to ensure that this is the path taken. An equitable, population-based vision is not one that naturally guides the development, commercialization, and implementation of new technologies. Such a vision requires leadership, from governments and civil society. This is vital to ensuring a systems-wide, multistakeholder approach to precision cardiovascular medicine implementation. Only well-informed, impartial, and trusted global health leaders can unite the diverse forces and actors needed to achieve this.

Recently, the spotlight was shone on global cardiovascular health leadership during the 2025 United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York. Here, member states convened to deliberate on the 4th Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) (5). The Declaration will play an important role in guiding the priorities, financing, and targets which national governments set when planning their NCD response. Under this spotlight, we see the complexities faced when implementing health innovations, and the need for deliberate efforts to drive forward the policy approaches mentioned above.

To highlight examples, we can consider some of the key recommendations put forward by the WHF in its response to the draft Declaration. The specific target to increase by 150 million the number of people with hypertension under control by 2030 falls well short of the 500 million advocated by the WHF. This hesitation around more ambitious hypertension control targets is paralleled by the language removed from the draft Declaration relating to access to statin-based therapies. This reveals an important challenge; access to even basic diagnostics and therapies in many parts of the world is severely limited. In the Frontiers in Science article hub, the editorial by Fuster and colleagues makes a clear case for why such challenges should not deter us from the aim of widespread implementation of precision medicine (6). Population-based approaches to these risk factors should provide an essential framework for reduction within which precision cardiovascular medicine can ultimately be applied. The draft Declaration on NCDs recognizes and provides guidance to support this, including strategies to promote medicine affordability and increase healthcare financing at national level that can be applied to all technologies (5).

The draft Declaration mentions the need for more equitable approaches to technological innovation, including populations previously underrepresented in research. This is especially true when considering precision tools, whose potential to ensure targeted care for all is reliant on globally representative data being used in their development and validation. The draft Declaration also highlights the need to increase the number and capacity of healthcare workers. By 2030, a shortfall of 11 million health workers is predicted (7). Medina-Inojosa and colleagues note the potential of precision tools to support health workers through decision support and remote analysis, but this is only possible if tools are accompanied by co-developed and contextualized programs to provide health workers with the skills and infrastructure required (4).

Finally, a major element of debate during drafting were the recommendations related to the social, commercial, and environmental determinants of NCDs in the Declaration (8). As Aikawa and colleagues eloquently point out, it would be a grave mistake to hold precision cardiovascular medicine as a silver bullet whilst ignoring the proven steps we can take to remove the root causes of CVD (3). Issues such as obesity, air pollution, and taxation of unhealthy commodities such as sugar-sweetened beverages must remain cornerstones of our efforts.

Looking beyond the UN General Assembly, the WHF now turns its attention to global implementation. Driving this is an aspirational goal: all countries should have a national cardiovascular health action plan. Precision cardiovascular medicine should be reflected across such plans. The ability of countries to do so will be dependent on several factors, including continued development of precision tools based on globally representative research and design, equitable access, and well-conceived national implementation programs based on context-relevant technical guidance. Naturally, the integration of precision tools into such plans will look different in different settings. But the opportunity for all countries to include them in the most appropriate way is one that we must ensure, and one that is vital to our goal of advancing towards cardiovascular health for everyone.

References

1. Di Cesare M, Perel P, Taylor S, Kabudula C, Bixby H, Gaziano TA, et al. The heart of the world. Glob Heart (2024) 19(1):11. doi: 10.5334/gh.1288

2. World Health Organization. Global report on hypertension 2025: high stakes – turning evidence into action.Geneva: WHO (2025).

3. Aikawa M, Sonawane AR, Chelvanambi S, Asano T, Halu A, Matamalas JT, et al. Precision cardiovascular medicine: shifting the innovation paradigm. Front Sci (2025) 3:1474469. doi: 10.3389/fsci.2025.1474469

4. Medina-Inojosa J.R., Rodriguez F., Lopez-Jiminez F., Sperling L.S. Precision cardiovascular medicine: global imperative for equity through innovation. Front Cardiovasc Med (2025) [in review]

5. World Health Organization. Rev.4: political declaration of the fourth high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being (2025).

6. Fuster V., Swirski F.K., Nadkarni G.N. Conventional and precision medicine: opposites or complementary ends?Front Sci (2025) 3:1701495. doi: 10.3389/fsci.2025.1701495

7. World Health Organization. Health workforce.

8. Reddy K.S., Mikkelsen B., Mensah G.A., Landrigan P.J., Mbakwem A., Garg R., et al. WHF position statement for United Nations Fourth High-Level Meeting-2025. Glob Heart (2025) 20(1):82. doi: 10.5334/gh.1467

Copyright & License

Copyright: © 2025 Author(s).
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).
Use, distribution, or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) are credited and the original publication in Frontiers Policy Labs is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice.
No use, distribution, or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Generative AI statement:
The author declares that no generative AI was used in the creation of this article.

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Save the Date: EACH Cardiovascular Health Summit

When: 10–11 December 2025 | Add to calendar
Where: Brussels, Belgium

Why: With the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan expected to be published by the European Commission before the end of this year, the EACH Cardiovascular Health Summit will serve as a key opportunity to maintain political momentum and advocate for adequate funding and effective implementation of the plan.

Join us at the EACH Cardiovascular Health Summit 2025 to:

• Engage directly with Members of the European Parliament from your country;

• Discover best practices for implementing national cardiovascular action plans;

• Explore the latest science and policy trends in cardiovascular risk and prevention;

• Hear powerful testimonies from patients and individuals with lived experience;

• Get the latest updates on the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan and its next steps.

Learn more (draft programme and how to register) here.

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As the world prepares to convene in Belém for the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), we respectfully urge governments and global leaders to place cardiovascular health at the centre of climate commitments. 

Climate change poses both direct and indirect threats to heart health. Two of the most urgent direct risks are: 

• Air pollution – Largely driven by fossil fuel combustion, air pollution was responsible for approximately 8 million premature deaths in 2023, with half resulting from heart disease and stroke. It remains the leading environmental risk factor for cardiovascular disease worldwide. 

• Extreme heat – Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense, which could raise cardiovascular mortality up to seven-fold among people living with existing heart disease. 

Beyond these immediate dangers, climate change also heightens indirect risks to cardiovascular health. Droughts, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes threaten food and water security, sanitation, and the continuity of healthcare services—conditions that can exacerbate chronic diseases, increase vulnerability to acute cardiovascular events, and erode community resilience. 

These risks are especially acute in low- and middle-income countries, where 90% of air pollution-related deaths occur and where health systems are often less equipped to respond to climate-related emergencies. The pace of implementing mitigation and adaptation measures in these settings remains far too slow to match the urgency of the threat. Beyond health, the economic cost of inaction is staggering: the World Bank estimates that air pollution–related health damages amount to $8.1 trillion annually (6.1% of global GDP), while the UN Economic Commission for Europe finds that failing to act can be up to 25 times more expensive than adopting clean air policies. 

To ensure that health equity and heart health are embedded in climate policy, the World Heart Federation and Instituto Lado a Lado pela Vida request governments at COP30 to: 

• Integrate cardiovascular health into Nationally Determined Contributions and other climate-related national strategies, 

• Phase down fossil fuel use, which drive both climate change and air pollution, 

• Develop national policies that reduce exposure to air pollution, promote clean household energy, and improve active and sustainable mobility, 

• Adopt and implement the WHO 2021 Global Air Quality Guidelines to reduce air pollution levels and prevent over 4.5 million CVD deaths, 

• Strengthen heatwave preparedness plans, with a focus on early warnings, public health messaging, and targeted protections for high-risk populations, 

• Prioritize vulnerable populations—including people living with NCDs, children, and older adults—in building more resilient, equitable health systems, 

• Safeguard policies from commercial and vested interests, 

• Engage civil society and marginalized groups in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of climate and health strategies. 

Climate action is not only an environmental imperative—it is a public health necessity. By protecting the air we breathe and the climate we depend on, we also protect the hearts and lives of millions. As the world looks to COP30 for leadership, we urge governments to champion a future where clean air, a stable climate, and cardiovascular health are recognized as shared global goods. 

Signed,

Jagat Narula, MD PhD                         Marlene Oliveira

President (2025-2026)                         President

World Heart Federation                      Instituto Lado a Lado pela Vida

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Honourable Chair,

Distinguished Delegates,

The World Heart Federation and the European Heart Network commend WHO and Member States for the progress achieved in implementing the Physical Activity Strategy for the WHO European Region 2016-2025, which has laid a strong foundation for healthier and more active populations.

Yet, physical inactivity remains a pressing public health challenge in the European region.
As a leading risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, especially cardiovascular disease, it increases the relative risk of hypertension, coronary artery disease, and stroke by 30%, 45%, and 60% respectively. Globally, nearly 500 million new cases of preventable NCDs are projected between 2020 and 2030 as a direct consequence of physical inactivity – representing an economic burden exceeding 300 billion USD.

Physical activity is a cornerstone of cardiovascular health, offering benefits that extend far beyond individual well-being. Regular exercise also helps prevent and manage type 2 diabetes, cancer, and dementia, as well as mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. It promotes social connection and contributes to lower health system costs. Establishing physical activity habits early in life is particularly essential, as childhood and adolescence are critical periods for shaping lifelong behaviours that help prevent NCDs later in life.

The World Heart Federation urges Member States to:

• Integrate physical activity across national NCD strategies, urban planning, education, and transport policies. In particular, implement the WHO ACTIVE measures and the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity;
• Foster environments that deliver co-benefits and promote health equity through intersectoral policies and interventions that reduce air pollution, promote healthy lifestyles, and support active transportation, with a strong focus on addressing social, commercial, and environmental determinants of health;
• Strengthen national physical activity monitoring systems in line with the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity targets; and
• Adopt and implement the forthcoming European Cardiovascular Health Action Plan.

We also call on Member States to consider extending the Physical Activity Strategy for the WHO European Region to 2030 to align with the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030.

In the European Region, the WHO Quick Buys, built on the WHO Best Buys, offer a suite of proven, cost-effective interventions to reduce tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity while addressing cardiovascular disease. These measures can deliver measurable public health benefits within five years.

To support global efforts, the WHF Policy Brief on Physical Activity may serve as a practical tool to guide implementation.

Thank you.

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Honourable Chair,

Distinguished Delegates,

The World Heart Federation and the European Heart Network commend WHO and Member States for the progress made in implementing the new Action Plan for Refugee and Migrant Health in the WHO European Region 2023-2030.

Noncommunicable diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease, remain too frequently neglected in health emergencies and migration contexts. People living with NCDs and cardiovascular disease face significant challenges in such settings due to strained health systems and disrupted services. Shifting priorities, precarious living and working conditions, limited access to essential care, and increased stress, among other factors, contribute to preventable NCD-related morbidity and mortality. Evidence shows that NCD complications occur two to three times more frequently in emergency contexts than in stable settings, with significantly higher rates of premature mortality.

We urge Member States to:

• Prioritize the needs of people living with NCDs in health emergencies, including migration contexts;
• Strengthen primary healthcare and universal health coverage to build resilient and inclusive systems that ensure continuous, integrated, people-centred, and equitable NCD care for refugees, migrants, and host communities. Such efforts should include establishing mechanisms for financial protection and reducing barriers to care;
• Integrate essential NCD services into emergency preparedness, response, and recovery plans, as well as elevate NCDs within the regional health security agenda;
• Address the social determinants of health to reduce inequities and ensure that no one is left behind; and
• Collect, analyse, and use data to generate timely intelligence for humanitarian actors and health systems.

The World Heart Federation encourages Member States and the WHO Europe Secretariat to continue prioritizing health and migration, building on the European Region’s strong legacy of inclusive and migrant-sensitive universal health coverage. Yet, access to health services remains a major challenge for many refugees and migrants, particularly in ensuring financial protection from out-of-pocket expenses, underscoring the urgent need for more reliable data to inform equitable policy action and strengthen health systems for all.

Protecting the health of refugees and migrants strengthens the health of all communities. Health systems must be resilient and responsive to the needs of all populations.

Thank you.

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Honourable Chair,

Distinguished Delegates,

The World Heart Federation and the European Heart Network commend WHO and Member States for the progress made in implementing the Roadmap of Actions to Strengthen the Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in the European Region 2015-2025.

The European region continues to record one of the highest rates of tobacco use in the world. Tobacco remains the single largest preventable risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, responsible for over 8 million deaths globally and approximately 1.1 million deaths regionally every year. It also remains a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, accounting for approximately 15.5% of all cardiovascular deaths worldwide.

The growing popularity of newer tobacco and nicotine products, such as electronic nicotine delivery systems and heated tobacco products, is particularly concerning. The WHO Global Report on Trends in Prevalence of Tobacco Use 2000-2024 and Projections 2025-2030 indicates that at least 86 million adults and 15 million adolescents use electronic cigarettes. The tobacco industry’s aggressive marketing strategies and misleading claims have largely contributed to the belief that e-cigarettes are harmless. In reality, newer tobacco and nicotine products are far from innocuous. Substantial evidence demonstrates that such products are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Nicotine itself is a highly addictive and toxic substance that harms the heart.

The tobacco industry remains the greatest obstacle to the implementation of the WHO FCTC. It has a long-standing history of systematic and deliberate interference in health and regulatory policy and science. The industry has sought to create unnecessary and harmful controversy in the minds of the public, healthcare professionals, and policymakers through deceptive claims and industry-funded research to promote its newer products.

The World Heart Federation urges Member States to fully implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, in alignment with WHO MPOWER measures. In particular:

• Implement Article 5.3 to safeguard public health from the commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry;
• Implement Article 6 to adopt fiscal policies that raise tobacco taxes to at least 75% of the retail price, in line with WHO recommendations;
• Implement Article 8 to ensure tobacco-free spaces and extend such measures to newer tobacco and nicotine products;
• Implement Article 14 to scale up evidence-based, lifesaving, tobacco and nicotine cessation services. In particular, train healthcare professionals, including cardiologists, to deliver effective interventions; and
• Apply the precautionary principle to ban or enforce stricter regulations on newer tobacco and nicotine products, including prohibiting flavourings and advertising, to protect future generations from further harm.

We also call on Member States to consider extending the Roadmap of Actions to Strengthen the Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in the European Region to 2030 to align with Sustainable Development Goal target 3.a.

The prevention of illicit trade in tobacco products remains a key priority in the region. As such, we call on Member States to accede to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products. We also encourage Member States to engage with the upcoming Eleventh Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO FCTC.

To support global efforts, the EHN Position Paper on E-Cigarettes, WHF Roadmap for Tobacco Control, WHF Policy Brief on E-Cigarettes, WHF Policy Brief on Nicotine, and WHF Policy Brief on Tobacco and COVID-19 may serve as practical tools to guide implementation in line with the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases.

Thank you.

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