Global Heart Hub’s Unite Summit 2024: A Global Gathering for Heart Patient Advocacy
November 18, 2024
The 2024 Global Heart Hub Unite Summit brought together patient organizations, advocates, and health professionals from around the world to address critical issues in heart health advocacy. Organized by the Global Heart Hub, this gathering fostered collaboration and a shared commitment to improving the lives of heart patients worldwide.
A central theme of the Summit was the challenge for heart patients in managing multiple health conditions. Heart disease often coexists with other chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease, creating a complex web of treatments, appointments, and medications. Speakers highlighted the need for integrated, patient-centered care that can address these interconnected conditions. Solutions discussed included centralized care coordination, digital health tools, and personalized care plans to help empower patients to manage their health more effectively.
Gender inequality in heart care was another pressing issue addressed at the Summit. Research highlights that women often experience delayed diagnoses and have less access to heart treatments compared to men, leading to poorer outcomes and, in some cases, preventable deaths. The discussions at the Summit underscored the need for gender-sensitive diagnostic tools, increased awareness among healthcare providers of how heart disease manifests uniquely in women, and campaigns to improve early detection in women.
One of the most powerful aspects of the Summit was hearing advocacy stories from around the world. Patient advocates from Europe, Canada, the U.S.A., Africa, Latin America, and Asia shared how they are overcoming challenges, from limited resources to cultural barriers, to drive meaningful change. These stories reinforced a shared determination to ensure every heart patient receives the care they deserve, regardless of location or background.
As the leader of a patient organization, we must draw inspiration from these global efforts to strengthen our own advocacy for heart patients. The challenges are universal, and all of us can harness the collective knowledge of our international partners to push for improved care pathways, increased awareness, and equitable access to heart treatments across our healthcare systems. The Summit reinforced that addressing these issues requires both local action and a commitment to learning from each other on a global scale.
A core mission of the Global Heart Hub is to unite patient organizations from around the world to share knowledge, learn from each other, and collaborate on common goals. The Unite Summit provided a powerful platform for these exchanges, enabling Heart Valve Voice Canada and others to build stronger networks, share best practices, and strategize collectively.
Looking ahead, the Unite Summit 2024 has underscored the importance of continued advocacy, collaboration, and shared learning. Thanks to the efforts of the Global Heart Hub and its network of dedicated advocates, the future of heart patient care looks brighter, more inclusive, and more patient-centered than ever before.
Ellen Ross, Managing Director, Heart Valve Voice Canada
Chair, Global Heart Hub’s Heart Valve Disease Patient Council