Awards for most impressive awareness campaign
Read the final reports
Belarus
This year Belarus Heart Failure Team broadens its horizons and involves regions in holding the event.
Our HFA day involves as many participants as possible (even Harley-Davidson moto club) and takes place not only in Minsk, but also in the Nesvizh castle.
Here we organize:
- meeting of doctors and patients after cardiac surgery and transplantation not only of the heart, but also of other organs
- press-conference lighting the problem of HF
- culinary master class to teach patients the basics of rational nutrition
- patient coaching and training in physical activity
- physical education of healthy people under the guidance of experienced instructors
- "points" of health, where the population can measure blood pressure, blood glucose, lipids, assess the body mass index and get a specialist's advice on the correction of these parameters
- knight tournaments and performances of athletes.
Belgium
Every year since 2010, the Belgian Working Group on Heart Failure and Cardiac Function, and the Belgian Cardiologic League have joined forces to organize the campaign on a national level.
This year, so far, the following centres have joined the event:
- Sint-Jozefskliniek(Izegem)
- UZGasthuisberg(Leuven)
- AZ Sint-Lucas (Gent)
- AZ KLINA (Brasschaat)
- ZOL (Genk)
- OLVZiekenhuis(Aalst)
- AZ Turnhout campus St Elisabeth
- UZ Brussel
- AZ Delta (Roeselare)
- AZ Glorieux
- CHU Brugmann/HartfalencentrumUZ Brugmann (Bruxelles)
- Cliniques universitaires Saint Luc (UCL) (Bruxelles)
- Hôpital Erasme (Bruxelles)
- CHU UCL Namur (Godinne)
- CHR de Verviers
- CHU de Liège
- CHR de la Citadelle (Liège)
- CHC -Hermallesous Argenteau
- CHU Ambroise Paré (Mons)
- Cliniques Saint-Luc (Bouges)
- CHWAPI (Tournai)
- Clinique St-Pierre (Ottignie)
- AZ Groeninge (Kortrijk)
Activities proposed during the Awareness Days
- Lectures to patients, their relatives and the general population about heart failure: What about heart failure, epidemiology, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, role of education
- Workshops about ‘heart failure’ diets
- Presentation of the movie ‘L'insuffisance cardiaque, un nouveau parcours pour votre coeur ‘ or “ Hartfalen, een nieuw parcours voor uw hart” (new edition)
- ‘Open house’ in heart failure clinics
- Panel debates with heart failure cardiologists
- Offering blood test, blood pressure measurements
- Performing NP testing & screening
- Participation of patient representatives to share their experiences
- Film with Patient testimonials
- CPR stands for Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation & Live Demo
Croatia
On 7th May, the day celebrating Split's patron Saint Duje, we will organize an “open door” Heart failure Clinic at the University Hospital Split, during the morning, so that our patients could come for advice and also in the town centre during afternoon.
On 8th May we will co-ordinate radio /tv/ newspaper programmes and documents about heart failure problems.
From 9th to 1th1 May, we will organize open hours about heart failure in the institute of Public Health, together with colleagues from epidemiology field, students of medicine, and young cardiology specialists.
As summary, we would like to
- have open hours in Hospital and Institute
- offer the measurements of blood pressure, lipids, glycaemia, BMI and check on the smoking status
- inform our patients about the disease and possible prevention
- inform press, radio, television, social media, websites in advance about activities and during the event
- organize panel debates with heart failure specialists and specialists in cardiovascular prevention from Institute of health
- prepare material about heart failure for patients and healthy persons
- involve HF patients group
- arrange the public event, during the St Duje days in Split
Cyprus
The Cyprus Heart Failure working group have scheduled plenty of activities this year, which again will be under the auspices of the Minister of Health.
The campaign days will spread over the period 7-20 May.
- Press conference at the Ministry of Health with a greeting from the Minister and presentations by the presidents of Pan-Cyprian Medical Association, Cyprus Society of Cardiology and Heart Failure Working Group.
- Publication of articles prepared by members of the CY heart failure community in print and electronic media throughout the awareness week.
- TV and radio interviews of our members in all major local channels. A major radio channel has invited a cardiologist together with a HF patient in a 90 min programme that will include hearing the patient’s voice and share her stories, experiences, beliefs, but also hopes and fears.
- TV spot with the moto Act on Heart Failure that major TV channels have accepted to play over the first week.
- Social media: create event on Facebook page of CY cardiology society and share it though event supporters and local influencers.
- HF awareness kiosk downtown in Nicosia (Faneromeni square) on Saturday 19 May with BP and pulse measurements, practical advice and distribution of awareness material by cardiologists and heart failure nurses, childrens' activity (little cookers prepairing fruit souvlaki and distributing it to the public) and live link with the most popular local radio station with music along with information of heart failure on air.
- HF awareness kiosk at the waterfront of Molos in the city of Limassol with similar activities.
Of note, the activities are supported by the Cyprus Medical Association, the Nicosia cardiac patients association and the Pan-Cyprian federation of patients associations and friends. All members of Parliament Commission of Health and the dean of the University of Cyprus Medical School are invited.
Denmark
A meeting has been planned at the Danish Parliament on 16th May from 3-6 pm. Speakers from the Danish Society of Cardiology, the Danish Heart Association and two politicians (health spokesmen from two different political parties) will debate in cooperation with Norvatis, with the aim of focussing more attention on heart failure issues.
Egypt
The activity will start Friday 4th May with the great participation of CAIRO Runners – Cairo's first street running initiative which provides exhilarating mini-marathon experiences every Friday Morning - to raise the awareness about heart failure and the importance of sports and changing life style to a healthier one. The HF survey will be started from this day .
On Friday 11th May, there will be a three hours’ session and meeting with heart failure patients and families which will focus on the importance of HF awareness, magnitude of the problem, prevention, diagnostic tests, and the importance of proper management, patient education and follow up. These topics will be presented not only by physicians but also HF specialist nurses. This is an interactive session in which some patients will present their success stories including patients who have completely recovered after LVAD implantation to the extent of explantation. This will include also measurement of blood pressure, blood sugar, and lipid profile for all participants.
Both two events will be covered by TV channels, radio, and journalists.
Finland
There will be a public lecture on heart failure on 8th May in the centre of Helsinki for the Heart Failure Awareness Day.
France
The French Society of Cardiology has launched an information and public awareness campaign to raise awareness of the warning signs of heart failure. In the region of Poitiers, the Polyclinique team, along with the team of the Rehabilitation Center of Moulin Vert, the Poitevin association of heart failure patients, and the patient association "Les amis du Moulin Vert ", will organise a free festive evening around this theme on May 23, as part of the European Heart Failure Days that traditionally take place in May each year.
The event will begin at 18:30 with an exhibition of visual arts (sculptures and paintings) created for this occasion as part of a competition, launched in March 2018 by the organizing committee. The winners will be selected by a jury, and 3 prizes (500, 400 and 300 €) will be awarded to the winning artists during the evening.
At 20:00, an artistic show will be presented to the general public. First, professional artists from the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional will take the stage by offering a music-dance show around the themes of suffering, serenity and hope, all of which characterize heart failure, with works by Schnittke, Bach and Schubert. Then, comedian Charl'Hot will demonstrate to us as part of his One Woman Show that we can have fun and laugh around a theme that we do not associate intuitively with relaxation and the humour.
An intermission will follow, during which spectators will be invited to go to the showroom where they will be greeted by a cocktail buffet. Again, caterers will demonstrate that we can feast on low-salt foods and non-alcoholic beverages. At the end of the intermission, the public will be invited to return to the theater by the actors of the theater group "Quiproquos" who will propose an improvisation act involving spectators, always in a humorous form, around the theme heart failure.
The whole evening will be filmed by a professional team of videographers. We invite local elected officials, the mayors of Grand Poitiers and the press to participate and testify to this exceptional adventure.
Video art exhibition Video music and theatre
Other activity centres:
Clermont Ferrand
Grenoble
Lille
Nantes
Paris
Rennes
Toulon
Tours Bois Gibert
Toulouse
Germany
In Germany the Heart failure information activities will take place from May till June. Around twenty cities across the country agreed to participate in this year`s HF Days. The National Partner is the German Heart Foundation.
Public events are organized in various German cities. The activities include information stands in the city centers, public lectures and seminars, health checks for visitors and the “bicycle tour with heart”. The tour is organized for the fifth time to invite everyone to get active and enjoy biking with like-minded people. It will take place in 4 cities in Germany in cooperation with the German Bicycle Club.
The Open House event at the Comprehensive Heart Failure Center in Würzburg includes public lectures from our experts, seminars about first aid and heart-healthy eating, a HF quiz with great prizes, information stands and a science slam. To promote physical activity as the best prevention for heart disease, the heart-friendly sports group will present some exercises and our handball pros will challenge the guests to score a goal. For our younger guests there will be a street dance performance and a workshop to join.
Another highlight will be the award ceremony of the competition “children explaining the heart”. Different schools in Freiburg and Würzburg participated in the competition.
Hungary
Hungary will hold their Heart Failure Awareness Day event at the same time as the World Heart Day on September 30th 2018 (the Hungarian Society of Cardiology annual conference is held during the Awareness Days).
Iceland
We in Iceland have meetings in May with other departments within the hospital to increase the awareness of heart failure and the resources we have here.
We have posters around the hospital for visitors to read information about heart failure - what it is that we can do. We have lectures for hospital staff and introduction for nurses in general practice.
The aim is to increase the awareness of nurses, doctors and others about the diagnosis of heart failure and to inform them about our resources.
Israel
The Israeli heart failure working group is promoting numerous events to be held on the HF awareness week during May 2018.
These activities will include the following:
- Lectures / Seminars for heart failure patients and families and the public in heart failure centers:
- Anatomy of the heart, heart disease and heart failure
- Lectures on nutrition, physical activity, patient's rights, national insurance.
- Activity in shopping centers to promote health by medical staff:
- Stalls with flyers on heart health, blood pressure and other risk factors.
- Spot-check blood sugar and blood pressure measurement tests
- Activities in schools in collaboration Ministry of Education and local authorities:
- Elementary schools - competition of heart paintings or slogans about heart health
- High schools - projects on heart health, heart disease.
- Activities within the framework of the municipalities:
- Illuminate prominent buildings with a picture of a heart
- A march for health with heart failure patients and families in the cities
- Communication and advertising on heart failure and heart health:
- Newspapers: local and national
- Radio: Advertisements about events and interviews of patients, doctors.
- Facebook site of the municipality and hospitals
- Posters on the heart failure awareness week to be dispersed at the Heart Institutes, heart failure centers and clinics of the Health Medical Organizations.
- Public survey of heart failure: to be filled in at stalls in shopping centers
Italy
For the 5th consecutive year of Italian participation, the following events have been approved by the Italian Federation of Cardiology and the Ministry of Health
- website: www.ituocuore.com
- social media: www.facebook.com/scompensocardiaco
8th May - press conference in Piacenza
10th May - national press conference in Cappella Palatina of Palazzo Farnese, with the major scientific authorities from Italy
- >50 centers will take part, distributed in all regions and main cities, coordinated by AUSL of Piacenza
- Theme: Healthy lifestyle prevention and promotion campaign, with special interest in physical activity promotion, healthy diet, smoking cessation campaings
- Initiatives distributed throughout the month of May 2017 to encourage greater impact and participation
Latvia
The HF working group of the Latvian Society of Cardiology, in collaboration with patients' organization "Par sirdi", will organise a public event "Mobile Heart Failure Clinic" with blood pressure and heart rate measurements, 6 min. walking tests, short consultations etc.
This year it will held on May 17 in the shopping centre „Ostmala” in Liepāja (approximately 220 km from Riga) in close cooperation with the municipality. For all visitors, printed leaflets with heart failure symptoms and main diagnostics tools and a short questionnaires will be provided. We plan to take part in European Heart Failure Awareness day 2018 Survey as well.
We are also going to organize a „Heart failure Hot line” (telephone counseling regarding heart failure) on May 22-23.
New articles about different aspects of heart failure, interviews with leading cardiologists and individual’s personal experience of living with the disease will be included in the Spring edition of "Sirds un veselība" (Heart and Health) and „Sirds veselības avīze” (Heart health newspaper) etc.
Information about Heart Failure Awareness day activities will be spread via radio and websites.
Lebanon
The Lebanese Society of Cardiology-Heart Failure working group will be participating in the Awareness Days.
The Theme of our Activities: "Early Start, Grow Smart", as we are involving cardiology fellows all over Lebanon in these activities:
- participation in awareness days
- organization in their institutions or hometowns of awareness activities
- educational activities organised by Lebanese HOT nucleus.
Our activities will take place over the month of May and especially in the second week of May.
- Media participation: Journals; newsletters and TV programs to discuss Heart Failure
- Social Media: that includes Video clips on Tips on Heart Failure that will be uploaded over May months on Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter and IHHUB. In addition to attaching the heartfailurematters.org webpage and its contents on social media, especially focussing on the Arabic version
- Heart Failure outreach clinic organised by some institutions/Hospitals that teaches patients and caregivers on heart failure: medications, role of exercise, diet and self-care.
- Activities in some regions in Lebanon in collaboration with municipalities that involve inviting patients at risk of heart failure or have heart failure to participate in educational activities as well as clinical activities by cardiologists,cardiology fellows;nurses;monographers where in addition to clinic activity,echocardiography and ECG will be offered as well as organising their medications per the heartfailurematters.org medication sheet
- Distribution through all the activities Heart Failure educational booklets to participants.
- Inviting fellows for educational activities:
- Heart Failure activity organised by Lebanese HOT nucleus includes presentation on on HF pathophysiology;discuss heart failure cases; and discuss recent articles. Will be presented by cardiology fellows and moderated by heart failure specialists.
- Heart Failure case study with exam questions (a module by the ESC educational program) for heart failure fellows.
- fellows and cardiologists invited to attend a presentation by an international speaker on recent updates in heart failure.
- An international cardiology speaker and nurse targeted towards Heart Failure clinic and multidisciplinary approach will tour in already opened heart failure clinics as well as clinics to be opened in 2018.
- A talk on HF clinics and multidisciplinary approach will be presented by an International heart failure nurse to nurses especially involved in cardiac and heart failure patients (invited from several regions from Lebanon).
Lithuania
The Working Group on Heart Failure of the Lithuanian Society of Cardiology (LSC), together with Heart Failure Specialists of Tomorrow (HoT) and Heart Failure Patients’ Association of Lithuania, will arrange a number of relevant social activities on May 4th.
The major aim of the public events held during the Heart Failure Awareness Week 2018 is to teach the people how to recognize and live with heart failure in the community, including news about the availability of specialized out-patient HF service, tackling HF vulnerable phase.
Planned activities:
- Lectures for patients and their relatives “How to live with heart failure” will be held. Famous basketball coach Mr. Vladas Garastas will share with participants his personal experience of living with the disease.
- Participants will be asked to complete short questionnaires “European Heart failure awareness day 2018 survey”. The HF questionnaire campaign is coordinated by The German Competence Network Heart Failure.
- A national press conference will be held with a representative from the government to address daily HF aspects, achievements and further development of HF care models, emphasize current experience of health care professionals who work in a specialized HF program.
- The “Mobile Heart Failure Clinic” with blood pressure and heart rate monitoring, ECG, 6 min walk test and short consultations will travel to the biggest cities. Short questionnaires and printed leaflets about HF symptoms, risk factors, main symptoms and signs as well as diagnostic tools will be provided.
- Short spots about HF will be spread and played on the outdoor displays during the events.
- TV and radio interviews of members of the LSC will be announced in the local TV and radio channels.
- The “King Mindaugas” bridge in Vilnius and City Hall in Kaunas will be lit in red for the whole week.
North Macedonia
The heart failure team at the University clinic of cardiology, Medical Faculty in Skopje, will organize several activities during HF awareness days ( May and June, 2018)
Planned activities:
- TV and radio interviews of cardiologists dedicated to heart failure
- Articles in newspapers to raise awareness of HF
- Seminar on early diagnosis and ESC Guidelines for HF treatment for General Practitioners organized by Center for Family Medicine
- Lectures to HF patients for self-monitoring concerning HF symptoms and sign, worsening of HF and timely medical consultation
- Workshops about ‘heart failure’ diets and physical activity programmes
- Promotion of an educational brochure for HF patients with information about main symptoms and signs of HF; leaflets for regular measurement of BP , HR and weight , consistence with HF therapy
- Posters with Heart Failure Awareness logo displayed in main hall of University clinic of cardiology
Malta
An open day will be held at the Mater Dei hospital
Lectures:
12:00pm: ‘Heart Failure: The Multidisciplinary Team Approach’
12:15pm: ‘The role of the Cardiologist in managing Heart Failure Patients’
12:30pm: ‘Educating our Heart Failure Patients: the role of the Heart Failure Nurse’
12:45pm: ‘Can I exercise?’
Open clinic:
Monitor your main body parameters in the Main Foyer of Mater Dei Hospital
Netherlands
The goal of the 2018 Heart Failure Awareness Days In the Netherlands is to optimize awareness in the general population and all those who are involved in the care for patients at high risk for heart failure.
For this, information on heart failure and its presenting symptoms is highlighted on Dutch health websites: the society for general practitioners, society for lung disease and national diabetes society.
Poland
The Polish Heart Failure Awareness Days will be held on Sunday 17 June, just after the National HF Conference in Cracow.
Portugal
The Portuguese Society of Cardiology appointed Heart Failure as one of the main priorities for the biennium 2017-2019. A strategy was designed to address 3 major vectors of HF management: policies and health decisors, health professionals and general public.
Romania
Russia
31 cities will take part in the all-European days of knowledge about CHF in 2018.
These are: Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan, Azov, Cheboksary, Kazan, Kamin-Shakhtinsky, Krasnogorsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Omsk, Orenburg, Perm, Pskov, Rostov-on-Don, Ryazan, Saransk, Samara, Shazk, Stavropol, St. Petersburg, Sergiev Posad, Taganrog, Tomsk, Tyumen, Ufa, Ulyanovsk, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh.
Russia is a huge country, and it is important for Russian Heart Failure focus that not only the famous major medical centers and universities participate in the action, but every hospital, every clinic and every individual doctor, even in the smallest and most remote cities, could contribute to the common cause and feel their importance and involvement in the fight against heart failure.
Therefore, among our volunteers, there are major centers, such as the Almazovsky Federal Center in S-Petersburg, Kazan State university Clinic, Moscow State University Clinic or State Cardiology Center of Bashkortostan , but also outpatient clinic in Moscow suburb, Municipal Health Center in Ulyanovsk or Cardiology department in Krasnodar.
There is also huge diversity in the heart failure specialization level among our participants.
Some of them are heart failure clinic, like Nizhny Novgorod, S-Petersburg and Pskov. Most, do not have any departments or specialists in Heart failure. Some centers more focused on public health , like Ulianovsk Health Centre or Medical Profylactic, Center in Voronezh. Some are centers of excellence in the field of Heart transplantation or Cardio-surgery like The Federal Center for Cardiovascular Surgery in Astrakhan, Research Institute of Cardiology Krasnodar.
There will be actions for a wide range of HF stakeholders.
For the public
Health corners "Take care of your heart" for the population at enterprises, shopping centers, fairs.
In Ulianovsk, Arkhangelsk, Ufa
For patients.
School for patients, Open clinics, Physical Rehabilitation programs introduction, Education about major HF risk factors.
In Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan, Azov, Cheboksary, Kazan, Kamin-Shakhtinsky, Krasnogorsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, N-Novgorod, Ulyanovsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Perm, Pskov, Rostov-on-Don, Ryazan, Saransk, Samara, Shazk, Stavropol, St. Petersburg, Sergiev Posad, Taganrog, Tomsk, Tyumen, Ufa, Ulyanovsk, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh
For nurses
Conference for doctors and nurses, involved in HF care.
In N-Novgorod, Ulyanovsk
For doctors
Conferences and lectures. Hand-on seminars (Ryazan)
In Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan, Azov, Cheboksary, Kazan, Kamin-Shakhtinsky, Krasnogorsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Omsk, Orenburg, Perm, Pskov, Rostov-on-Don, Ryazan, Saransk, Samara, Shazk, Stavropol, St. Petersburg, Sergiev Posad, Taganrog, Tomsk, Tyumen, Ufa, Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh
For Media
Articles in the regional News Papers, Broadcast on radio and regional TV
In Azov, Cheboksary, Kazan, Kamin-Shakhtinsky, Moscow, Omsk, Orenburg, Perm, Pskov, Rostov-on-Don, Ryazan, Saransk, Samara, Shazk, Stavropol, St. Petersburg, Sergiev Posad, Taganrog, Tomsk, Tyumen, Ufa, Volgograd, Voronezh
For Government and Ministry of Health
Action will be supported by regional government in the republic of Bahkortostan (Ufa), Chuvashia Republic (Cheboksary,), St. Petersburg, Samara, Rostov-on-Don
Slovakia
The HF working group of the Slovak Society of cardiology plans to:
- organize a press conference on epidemiology and HF symptoms with the presence of patients
- publish stories of HF patients ( written by patients themselves) on the facebook and web page of the patient´s association and start a discussion forum
- organise a survey on HF knowledge for members of the patient´s civil organization “Union for Healthy Heart” (more than 1000 members)
- publish 3 HF brochures on the public association's web side
- to process and upload a video supporting the exercise training of patients with HF on the patient´s association web side
Spain
In relation with the HF Awareness Day, the Heart Failure Working Group of the Spanish Society of Cardiology committed all the Heart Failure Units to celebrate this week, focusing on Friday 11th may, to increase visibility in media.
Following last year's idea from Dr Crespo (A Coruña), the Working Group have committed to our members to illuminate in red several monuments and important public buildings (city halls, hospitals,...) around the country. Also, we are going to collaborate with patients associations in different activities to be celebrated this week.
Turkey
This will be the 7th year of participation in the HF Awareness Day.
HF Awareness Day activities will start with a national press conference in Istanbul on 9 May 2018, in which all national TV channels and newspaper representatives will be invited to attend and a press release will be delivered.
Heart Failure Working Group of TSC have already organized 2 HF meetings for clinicians and primary care physicians to raise the implementation of HF guidelines, which will be held in the city of Bolu on 8 May 2018 and the city of Antalya on 10 May 2018.
2018 version of HF Awareness Day Posters in Turkish will be sent to primary care centers and public, private and university hospitals.
Board members from the Heart Failure Working Group will give interviews about the definition, symptoms, signs, causes, treatment and prevention of heart failure on national and local TV channels to raise public awareness of heart failure
Open clinic activities will be organized in several medical centers.
Newspaper announcements of the Heart Failure Awareness Day will be published and also newspaper interviews will be scheduled for rising public awareness of risk factors for HF
A newsletter about HF Awareness Day will be prepared and sent to all members of the Turkish Society of Cardiology
An announcement of the Heart Failure Awareness Day and web banner will be placed on the official website of Turkish Society of Cardiology
United Kingdom
BSH is delighted to be collaborating with Pumping Marvellous on a campaign entitled ‘One Simple Blood Test’ to highlight the importance of natriuretic peptide testing in the diagnosis of heart failure. Please visit the Pumping Marvellous website to download posters, media packs, images and a video to help spread this important message. The materials are provided for public use from 12:00 on Sunday 6 May.
We encourage you to display posters in your departments, send them to your local GP practices with a note reminding them of the importance of natriuretic peptide testing and share the materials via social media.
Pumping Marvellous has also launched their 'Suck a Lemon' campaign to coincide with Heart Failure Awareness Week. Whilst BSH is not directly involved in this campaign, we are pleased to support it and encourage our Members to get involved.
Our mission: To reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.