Dr. Srinath Reddy has been elected as president of 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.
Dr. Srinath Reddy is the first Indian ever to be conferred this honour. The election took place on Friday at the World Congress of Cardiology held in Dubai. He succeeds Dr. Sydney Smith of USA and will serve a two year term, commencing in January 2013.
Dr Reddy is the president of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and former Head of Cardiology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. 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, Dr 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. 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.”
