Ambitious Cities@Heart Project Launches to Tackle Urban Cardiovascular Disease Crisis
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A new, pan-European initiative aims to dramatically reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in urban areas, addressing critical health inequalities and aiming for a future where preventable deaths are minimized.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming over 20 million lives annually and costing the European Union more than its annual budget. The Cities@Heart project, launching in January 2026, represents a significant effort to reverse this trend, particularly within densely populated urban environments where risks are amplified by factors like poverty and limited access to healthcare.
The Urban Cardiovascular Challenge
Approximately three-quarters of Europe’s population resides in cities, and these areas present unique challenges to cardiovascular health. Existing interventions often fail to reach those who need them most – individuals experiencing poverty, specific ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and women. A lack of effective implementation, despite the availability of treatments, exacerbates these disparities.
“Huge strides have been made to better manage disease of the heart and circulation, but they still remain the world’s biggest killers,” stated a senior official connected with the project. “Cities@Heart aims to address the major driver of poor outcomes – inequalities in health and access to healthcare that affect many communities within our cities. We will jointly develop approaches with affected citizens, community leaders, city councils, clinicians, health policy leaders and industry partners to achieve long-term change.”
A Whole-City Approach to Heart Health
The Cities@Heart project adopts an integrated, “whole-city” approach, emphasizing co-production of interventions with communities and local leaders. This public-private partnership, spearheaded by the University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands), the University of Birmingham (UK), and Novartis (Switzerland), brings together a consortium of 34 international partners.
Funded by the European Union Innovative Health Initiative, the project will focus on four key drivers of cardiovascular disease: obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes. These conditions are directly linked to heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and vascular dementia – illnesses that disproportionately impact vulnerable urban populations.
Seven Cities to Lead the Way
The initiative will leverage existing infrastructure within seven European city councils – Belfast (Northern Ireland), Birmingham (England), Cork (Republic of Ireland), Izmir (Turkey), Łódź (Poland), Udine (Italy), and Utrecht (Netherlands) – embedding new health technologies and innovations from industry partners. City-wide strategies will be tested and implemented in these locations, with the potential for scaling successful models across the WHO’s network of European cities and beyond.
According to a company release, Jesús Ponce, Therapeutic Area Head for Cardiovascular-Renal-Metabolic at Novartis, emphasized the project’s potential: “Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death and morbidity globally. At Novartis, we envision a future where preventable cardiovascular deaths are no longer a reality. Cities@Heart represents a vital opportunity to address the unmet needs of underserved populations in Europe through bold partnerships and collaborative innovation.”
A Vision for Universal Access
The consortium envisions a future where awareness, evidence-based prevention, early detection, and effective management of cardiovascular disease are universally accessible in urban areas, supported by advancements in health technology. Ultimately, Cities@Heart aims to reduce the economic burden of cardiovascular disease on society and improve both the quality of life and life expectancy for millions.
For more information, please visit the Cities@Heart project website: www.citiesatheart.eu or write to [email protected].
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