The ACC and World Heart Federation (WHF) will jointly host ACC’s 69th Annual Scientific Session with WHF’s World Congress of Cardiology (ACC.20/WCC), taking place March 28 – 30, 2020 in Chicago, IL.

The ACC has a strong international presence with thousands of members around the world, 42 international chapters and global education programs that reach over 50,000 clinicians outside the U.S. each year. Through this global network, the ACC has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing cardiovascular health worldwide with the exchange of knowledge and resources and by promoting dialogue among cardiovascular professionals around the world.

The WHF is the leading organization for global advocacy for cardiovascular disease. They are the only cardiovascular organization in official relations with the World Health Organization and are a founding member of the Non-Communicable Disease Alliance, which is the preeminent driving force in ensuring accountability for the global movement to stem the rise of chronic diseases through the U.N. and World Health Organization.

“The ACC and WHF are strategically aligned in our goals to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease worldwide,” says Richard J. Kovacs, MD, FACC, incoming ACC president who will preside over ACC.20. “By combining WHF’s expertise and leadership in promoting global health issues and ACC’s renowned Annual Scientific Session, we are poised to reach thousands of cardiovascular health professionals with new ideas, science and education that can save patients in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries.”

For the past several years, the WHF has held their biannual World Congress of Cardiology jointly with other cardiovascular societies around the world. In planning ACC.20/WCC, the two organizations will work together to incorporate ideas about global health content into the overarching meeting program to bring awareness of the vital work needed in global health advocacy, including the U.N.’s goal to reduce premature death from noncommunicable diseases by 25 percent by 2025.

“WHF is delighted to be returning to the U.S. after more than 30 years, and we are immensely proud to be partnering with the ACC to jointly host ACC.20/WCC,” says Karen Sliwa, MD, PhD, FACC, president of WHF from 2019 – 2020. “Together, we will be able to combine the excellent scientific and educational focus of ACC with the international standpoint of WHF highlighting the plight of many neglected diseases, including rheumatic heart disease and Chagas disease, as well as the need to address existing and arising risk factors such as air pollution. We look forward to working closely with ACC, strengthening the incredible working relationship between both our organizations and to create an event that will address the importance of all aspects of cardiovascular disease diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cures on all levels, to both Society and Foundation representatives across the world.”

Keywords: ACC19, ACC Annual Scientific Session, Global Health, Mortality, Premature, Rheumatic Heart Disease, Neglected Diseases, World Health Organization, Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular, Social Responsibility, Air Pollution, Chagas Disease

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