On May 17–18, global leaders in heart health gathered in Geneva, Switzerland for the World Heart Summit 2025 — a forum organized by the World Heart Federation. The event brought together clinicians, policymakers, researchers, and advocates with one shared mission: to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which remains the leading cause of death globally.
As part of a collective effort to drive better outcomes for heart health across populations, LECC was honoured to be in attendance, learning, sharing, and contributing to the global conversation.
The Global Urgency Behind the Summit
While heart disease is often associated with high-income countries, the truth is that over 80% of CVD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. And in many of these settings, healthcare systems are still catching up with the demands of detection, treatment, and long-term care.
The Summit set out to:
- Reframe how the world talks about cardiovascular disease
- Highlight patient experiences and community-based solutions
- Call for greater equity, financing, and prevention efforts globally
Key Takeaways from the 2025 World Heart Summit
1. Patients Must Be at the Center of Cardiovascular Care: It’s no longer enough to treat numbers on a screen, true cardiovascular care must include how patients feel, what they understand, and what matters to them. The Summit emphasized the inclusion of patient-reported outcomes alongside clinical data to guide health systems and research funding. Participants shared stories of misdiagnoses, late-stage interventions, and care that felt disconnected from the lived experiences of patients. This insight encouraged all stakeholders to return to the core purpose of care: people first.
2. Where You Live Still Dictates Your Heart Health: Heart disease is not just a medical condition; it is also a social justice issue. The Summit highlighted how geographic, economic, and educational disparities continue to limit access to: screening services, medications like antihypertensives, cardiac rehabilitation, lifestyle support.
To address this, speakers advocated for:
- Decentralized screening, including outreach in faith centers and markets
- Task-shifting, empowering nurses and community health workers
- Strategic partnerships between government and private providers
3. Expanding the Definition of Risk Factors: In addition to well-known risks like smoking and poor diet, the Summit called for greater focus on social and environmental determinants. These include:
- Air pollution: now linked to millions of cardiovascular deaths annually
- Unhealthy urban design: limited green spaces and high stress levels
- Food insecurity and lack of nutritious options
The message was clear: heart health isn’t just a clinical issue, it’s a social one.
4. Start Early: Focus on Children and Adolescents. Several sessions focused on congenital heart disease and childhood obesity, pointing to the need for early intervention, not just for treatment, but prevention.
From integrating heart health into school curriculums to investing in pediatric diagnostics, global health leaders are now looking at the first two decades of life as the foundation for long-term cardiovascular well-being.
5. Financing Innovation to Close the Gaps: How do we fund the cardiovascular care that patients actually need? The Summit explored:
- Blended finance models to pool private and public investment
- Social impact bonds tied to measurable outcomes
- Insurance reform to improve coverage for CVD medications and procedures
At LECC, we’ve seen how creative financing and partnerships can improve access, from tailored payment plans to collaborations with insurance providers.
LECC’s Presence at the Summit: Our Reflection
Attending the World Heart Summit gave us a deeper appreciation of the shared global challenges in heart care, and the opportunity to reflect on our local innovations.
We participated in discussions on:
- Making care more person-centered
- Bridging the gap between clinical guidelines and real-life practice
- Scaling digital tools and remote care platforms in West Africa
- Collaborating with government and civil society for preventive programs
These conversations reaffirmed our commitment to not only delivering high-quality cardiac care but doing so in ways that meet people where they are.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The World Heart Summit 2025 wasn’t just another conference, it was a call to action. For providers like LECC, that means:
- Continuing to push for equity and access
- Listening closely to patients
- Working beyond hospital walls to support lifelong heart health
- Partnering across sectors to make prevention real, not abstract
The future of cardiovascular care is here. It’s data-driven, inclusive, preventive and most importantly, human.
And we’re proud to be part of building that future.