PLEDGE

Dear Partner in Global Health Promotion,

For over forty years, I have dedicated my research and clinical care to the promotion of heart health. My work has brought me to communities around the world where I have worked closely with children and adults, clinics and hospitals, programs and schools.

From Bogota to Madrid, across Kenya, throughout Grenada, in the urban center of Harlem and throughout the streets of Cardona, I have evaluated and cared for a wide range of patients at various stages of life and health. Some afflicted with cardiovascular disease and facing the challenges of health management, and others still in their youth, before heart disease has crept in and when we as human beings are most impressionable for establishing lifelong healthy habits.

My work is grounded in the knowledge that science-based education is and must remain a key component of health promotion and improvement. I firmly believe that in order to promote heart health globally, we must start humbly within our communities, and if it works, expand further.

Through all of my research, it has become abundantly clear that to eliminate cardiovascular disease and truly affect long-term, widespread change, we must make a transformation. This can start by implementing science-based, early health education starting with children ages 3 to 5 as the key to eradicating heart disease.

The goal of my findings is for governments around the world to adopt this vision of health education and promotion, so that every community can experience the health benefits of science-based education.

Please join me in my efforts to improve early health education programs so that our children may live in a world free of heart disease. Consider signing the attached pledge and being a part of these efforts.

Valentín Fuster, MD, PhD
Director, Mount Sinai Heart
Mount Sinai Hospital

• I believe all humans are at risk of developing heart disease.
• I believe our current society does not see itself as vulnerable to cardiovascular disease.
• I believe that, despite advances and billions of dollars invested in healthcare, cardiovascular disease continues to escalate due to incomplete education and ingrained poor health habits.
• I believe that scientific and medical research should inspire and inform educational tools to reduce heart disease worldwide.
• I believe that changing lifestyle habits is the only way to prevent the spread of cardiovascular disease.
• I believe our greatest opportunity to change the population’s habits and stop this trend begins with children and their families.
• I believe reducing heart disease is achievable through early health education among children ages 3 to 5, which will lead to the development of healthy habits and an improved of quality of life.
• I believe the promotion of global health must be addressed in a positive way, through early and recurrent health education, the introduction of new educational tools, and improving society’s awareness regarding heart disease development.