The role of the World Heart Federation in cardiovascular health promotion and disease prevention in developing countries with a special emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa.

The World Heart Federation (WHF) is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases. The Federation is committed to helping the global population achieve a longer life, of improved quality, through prevention and control of heart disease and stroke, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries. The WHF comprises 167 member societies of cardiology and heart foundations from 100 countries and continental members. The WHF supports science, educates and trains, and plays an advocacy role. Africa is of particular concern to the WHF, as it is estimated that, in 1990, the death rate from non-communicable diseases was approximately one third that from communicable diseases, and that by 2020, the death rates will be roughly equal. The WHF is assisting with capacity building through the newly established African Heart Network (AHN), and the Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR). Through a formal memorandum of understanding, these organizations will work together in the areas of tobacco control and hypertension and will focus on building sustained capacity for health promotion, policy change, and effective clinical interventions.