The World Heart Federation (WHF),an over-arching, global,non-governmental organization and the world’s only body dedicated to the global prevention of heart disease and stroke, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries, unanimously elected Prof. K. Srinath Reddy as its President.

Professor Reddy is the first Indian ever to be conferred this honour. The election took place on Friday, 20th April, 2012at the World Congress of Cardiology being held in Dubai with over 11,000 delegates from all continents.Professor Reddy succeeds Dr. Sydney Smith of USA and will serve a two year term, commencing in January 2013.

Prof. Reddy is the President of the Public Health Foundation of India(PHFI), New Delhi and former Head of Cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.  He also serves as the first Bernard Lown Visiting Professor of Cardiovascular Health at the Harvard School of Public Health and Honorary Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney.

Accepting this honorary position as head of the world body, Prof. Srinath Reddy said “Cardiovascular diseases are collectively the leading cause of death across the world and are increasing at an alarming rate in low and middle income countries.  This global threat requires a global thrust to counter and contain it. Efforts are needed to protect populations from acquiring heart disease and to provide timely, effective and affordable care to individuals who have developed disease.  The ambit of heart health must extend from the hub of global policy to the throb of a person’s pulse. From tobacco control to promotion of healthy diets and physical activity, national and global policies must encourage and enable people to practice healthy habits.  Health services should enable risk reduction and cost-effective management of disease at all levels of health care.  WHF will catalyse these policies at the global level and assist national efforts through capacity building and collaborative research.”

Prof. Reddy is presently Chair of WHF’s Science and Policy Initiatives Committee.WHF has its global head office in Geneva and its mission is to ‘unite its members and lead the global fight against heart disease and stroke, with a focus on low-and middle-income countries’.