World Heart Day (WHD) is a campaign established to spread awareness about the health of heart among common people all through the world. This initiative was founded in the year 2000 to inform people to take care of their heart. A huge percentage of common public in the society is suffering from the heart diseases like stroke, heart attack, heart failure, etc. Heart problems are the leading causes of death in the world.
World Heart Day: Date
- 2024: 29 September, 2024 [Sunday]
- 2025: 29 September, 2025 [Monday]
- 2026: 29 September, 2026 [Tuesday]
- 2027: 29 September, 2027 [Wednesday]
It is celebrated annually all over the world on 29th September. A particular theme is decided for the each year celebration in order to focus on the main subject and make it effective. Theme is prepared by keeping in mind the key issues of heart health. According to the World Heart Federation, at least 80% of the premature deaths (because of cardiovascular diseases) can be protected by controlling four main risk factors such as unhealthy diet, tobacco use, lack of physical activity and use of alcohol.
The heart related problems and deaths can be solved by the active involvement of the common public through the campaign of world health day. Various governmental and private organizations including NGOs all around world are working to spread the awareness of CVD (cardiovascular disease – the world’s number one killer).
World Heart Day: History
The World Heart Federation (WHF) is a nongovernmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland in 1971.
In 1978 the International Society of Cardiology merged with the International Cardiology Federation (which had been founded in 1970) to form the International Society and Federation of Cardiology. This body changed its name in 1998 to the World Heart Federation.
The federation hosts the World Congress of Cardiology. A preliminary and somewhat informal international meeting of cardiologists was held in Prague in 1933, but the advent of Nazism and World War II prevented further international cooperation in the field until 1946, when a Cardiological Congress took place in Mexico City. The first true World Congress was held in 1950.
The first World Congress of Cardiology was convened in Paris in September 1950 under the aegis of the International Society of Cardiology, which had itself been founded four years previously. Subsequent congresses were held at four-year intervals until 2006; since then, they have been held at two-year intervals.
“World Heart Day” was founded in 2000 to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading causes of death.
About World Heart Federation
World Heart Federation (WHF), a nongovernmental organization, is based in the Geneva, Switzerland. An International Society of Cardiology was founded in 1946 and International Cardiology Federation in 1970. Both organizations were merged to form the International Society and Federation of Cardiology (ISFC) in 1978. Later the name of International Society and Federation of Cardiology was changed to the World Heart Federation in 1998.
It has established the World Heart Day (WHD) campaign in 2000 to be celebrated every year on 29th of September. This organization and its members are dedicated to lead a major global fight against heart diseases and stroke. The strategy of this federation is especially focusing on the vulnerable areas of the world such as low and middle income countries. It is a united community, of around 200 member organizations, only global body in the world dedicated to lead this fight against heart diseases. This federation brings together strength of various medical societies and heart foundations all over the world (more than 100 countries from Asia-Pacific, East Mediterranean, Europe, the Americas and Africa).
According to the statistics, approximately 17.3 million people were died of cardiovascular diseases in 2005. In such serious situation, World Heart Federation is a hope to prevent and control heart ailments through proper awareness campaigns and actions. Heart health and disease related information and ideas are shared among people for disease prevention and control through the promotion of healthy diets, physical activities, tobacco and alcohol free living including healthy lifestyle.
The World Heart Federation motivates the health care professionals, medical societies, policy makers, patients, organizations and other healthy individuals to come forth and participate actively in the campaign to reduce the fear of heart disease and stroke as well as ensure people for longer and better lives.
Why Celebrate WHD?
WHD is celebrated all across the world to reduce the number of deaths because of cardiovascular diseases worldwide. It is an international campaign to spread awareness among common public to save them and motivate to live with healthy heart. According to the WHO, cardiovascular diseases are the reason of around 30% deaths of all global deaths. Some of the most dangerous risk factors leading to the heart disease and stroke are high blood pressure, high level of bad cholesterol, increased glucose level, smoking habit, inadequate intake of diet, fruit and vegetables, increased weight, and obesity.
WHD is an effective way established by the world heart federation to aware people around the globe that heart ailments are the leading cause of death. World Heart Federation, in collaboration with the WHO, spreads important news about heart diseases and main risk factors to the public worldwide. It motivates people to get participated and take some knowledge, go through the proper heart check-ups, and follow other control measures all through the life. It is a perfect day when many people do promises to themselves to quit smoking, get involved in daily physical activities, start eating healthy diet, etc in order to keep their heart in good working order.
It is a day when people realize about overeating, unhealthy diets, lack of exercises, bad life style, etc causing heart ailments. It brings some hope to people that heart problems can be prevented and controlled for whole life by following healthy life style.
The main aim of WHD is to improve global heart health by encouraging people for lifestyle changes and gain knowledge about ways to be good to the heart. There is a target by WHO to reduce non-communicable disease mortality rate by 2025 by reducing the premature deaths because of cardiovascular disease.
World Heart Day: Celebrations
- At global level World Health Day targets all the issues related to health and for this several programs are organized yearly basis by the WHO and other organisations at several places like schools, colleges etc.
- It is celebrated worldwide by the government, non-government, NGO’s and several other organisations.
- Health authorities from different country take part in the celebration with their pledges in order to support on the health issues worldwide.
- It reminds people about the establishment of WHO and to spread awareness among people about major health issues in the world.
- WHO has worked on serious health issues in the developing countries like chickenpox, polio, smallpox, TB, leprosy etc.
- To fulfill the aim of World Health Day, people in the World Health Organizations do debates between individuals on health related topics, organize exhibitions, essay writing, various competitions and award ceremony etc.
- Organizations which participated in the World Health Organizations highlight all the activities through Media like News, releases of the Press so that people come to know about it.
Greeting Cards:
World Heart Day: Theme
There are particular theme (related to the topic) for every year’s celebration of the WHD to bring more awareness. All the themes are below year wise:
- 2024: Use Heart for Action
- 2023: Use Heart, Know Heart
- 2022: Use Heart for Every Heart
- 2021: Harnessing the power of digital health to improve awareness, prevention and management of CVD globally
- 2020: Support Nurses and Midwives
- 2019: Visionary women: Champions of peace and non-violence
- 2018: Universal Health Coverage: everyone, everywhere
- 2017: Share the power
- 2016: Light Your Heart, Empower Your Life
- 2015: Creating heart-healthy environments
- 2014: Heart Choices NOT Hard Choices
- 2013: Take the road to a healthy heart
- 2012: One World, One Heart, One Home
- 2011: One World, One Heart, One Home
- 2010: I Work with Heart
- 2009: I Work with Heart
- 2008: Know your Risk
- 2007: Team Up for Healthy Hearts!
- 2006: How Young is Your Heart?
- 2005: Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape
- 2004: Children, Adolescents and Heart Disease
- 2003: Women, Heart Disease and Stroke
- 2002: What Shape are you in?
- 2001: A Heart for Life
- 2000: I Love my Heart: Let it beat!
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