Heart Failure Policy Summit 2024 showcases opportunities to prioritise heart failure in policy

The Heart Failure Policy Network (HFPN), for which The Health Policy Partnership (HPP) acts as secretariat, hosted the third international Heart Failure Policy Summit in April.

The Summit was an opportunity for leaders in policy, academia, patient advocacy and healthcare delivery to discuss the latest advances in research and advocacy for heart failure. The keynote address was given by Spanish Minister for Health Mónica García Gómez, whose attendance, along with that of Demetris Papadakis MEP, demonstrated the increasing prioritisation of heart failure by national and international policymakers.

Across two sessions, more than 25 speakers explored how heart failure can be positioned as a strategic priority in building sustainable health systems and what cutting-edge heart failure research means for governments and people living with the condition.

Speakers discussed exciting innovations that are changing the face of heart failure care. Spain’s Cardiovascular Health Plan, for example, is the first national action plan of its kind tackling both the causes of poor cardiovascular health and its outcomes. Meanwhile, Italy has incorporated cardiovascular health, including heart failure, into its plan to reform how its health system tackles chronic diseases. Another new development highlighted at the Summit was the use of AI-assisted echocardiography in setting up the UK’s first community-based breathlessness screening hub in Liverpool, bringing heart failure screening into community settings.

Over 64 million people across the world are estimated to be living with heart failure. With an ageing global population, this number will only continue to grow. Urgent political action is required to encourage and utilise innovations in heart failure research, clinical practice and care to improve outcomes for people living with heart failure, reduce hospitalisations, and prevent health systems from becoming overburdened.

The HFPN is an independent, multidisciplinary group working to improve the lives of people living with heart failure. It is supported by members including healthcare professionals, patient and clinical advocates, and policymakers across Europe.

Full recordings of both Heart Failure Policy Summit 2024 sessions can now be watched on the HFPN website.