Heart health will be achievable by everyone in Australia by 2050

Long-term vision and ambition must be backed up by strategic discipline

In Health for Every Heart, the Heart Foundation is setting out a commitment to reach the middle of this century with heart disease rarely experienced, or if experienced, identified early and managed well.

To deliver on this, we will implement a connected series of five-year strategies built around, and working towards, the goals set out in this vision statement. Each five-year strategy will identify priorities for Heart Foundation leadership to align with Strategic Plan priorities and underpinning priorities.

Working in five-year cycles will allow us to build momentum for systemic change by leveraging our work and that of others, and to act as a catalyst for a strong, cohesive national commitment to improved heart health and the elimination of heart disease. Taking stock every five years along this journey will enable us to recalibrate as necessary, and to incorporate new and emerging priorities, disease trends, technologies, innovations and evidence.

The Australian context

Whilst broadly guided by the ambition of Health for Every Heart, these five-year cycles will also align with existing national health targets. Targets established through the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021–2030, the National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions, the National Obesity Strategy 2022-2032, and the National Strategic Action Plan for Heart Disease and Stroke, will ensure that Heart Foundation five-year strategies are datadriven, realistic, and impactful. As new national strategies and interventions are developed, new sub-targets will be set.

The global context

Australia is not on its own in the fight to improve heart health. The World Heart Federation (WHF) provides leadership, direction, and a vital forum for nations to work together. The challenges we face in Australia are like those encountered worldwide. Working with its over 100 members, the WHF has developed a strategic framework to improve heart health across the globe, World Heart Vision 2030–Driving Policy Change.

This strategic framework has informed the development of Health for Every Heart. Health for Every Heart has embraced the framework’s vision for a world in which “every human being has access to the information, care, and treatment they need to keep their heart healthy, regardless of race, nationality, gender, age, education, or income”. Health for Every Heart is aligned with this vision, ensuring that the efforts we take are also aligned with the global movement to improve heart health.

Working with the WHF and its members will not only help bring about global improvements to heart health, but it will also accelerate the progress we can make here in Australia. We can learn from the successes of other nations and look at and adopt policies and other tools they have used to improve heart health in Australia. We can also contribute to global progress by sharing our expertise and experiences.