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About us

Fighting cardiovascular disease

We created The Heart Fund in 2010 to participate in the global fight against cardiovascular disease (CVD), the number one killer responsible for 30% of all deaths, 75% of which take place in low- and middle- income countries.

For more than a decade, we have been developing patient-centered initiatives to democratize access to care and health education in low-resource settings, while providing local healthcare providers with the tools to advance their practice.

The Heart Fund has been working towards democratizing access to care and advancing cardiology practice in low- and middle- income countries.

A father in a hospital hugging his child

94%

of children born with a heart
defect in developing countries
still don’t have access to care.

75%

of all deaths in low and middle
income countries are due to
cardiovascular disease.

1 cardiac center per 33M
people in Africa
(1 per 120,000 people in the US)

Disrupting health inequalities

We believe health is a fundamental human right, and that everyone should have access to the health services they need. Yet, 94% of children born with a heart defect in developing countries still don’t have access to care, 2 out of 3 people on the planet lack access to medical imaging, and there are only 0,04 cardiac surgeons per million people in low- and middle- income countries (7,15 in high income countries).

The Heart Fund goes the extra mile to democratize access to health education and to cardiovascular care. Prevention and screening campaign in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Populations, Haiti, 2017.

To disrupt the status quo of health inequalities, The Heart Fund goes the extra mile to provide vulnerable populations fair access to care and health education. We also work to empower local healthcare providers to deliver quality care through medical training initiatives and facilitate access to the latest developments in health technology.

From last mile delivery (using our smart ecosystem The Heart Mobile™) to corrective surgery and epidemiological research, we have been developing innovative solutions and community-level initiatives to not only treat, but better prevent, assess, and manage chronic diseases.

The Heart Fund works to empower local healthcare providers to deliver quality care through medical training initiatives, and facilitates access to the latest developments in health technology.

Mothers holding their child being treated by nurses

Our vision

Health for all,
everywhere.

’’

Very early on, it was clear to us that we should offer upstream interventions in order to spare developing countries of the double burden of chronic diseases.

Dr David LUU, President and founder of The Heart Fund

Our mission

Democratizing access to cardiovascular care and health education, while advancing cardiology research and practice in low- and middle- income countries.

See our actions

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Our tenets

Cultural relevance: We’re committed to serving and working alongside our local partners.

Sustainability: We strive to foster sustainable healthcare by collaborating with local governments and health authorities.

Innovation: We leverage innovation and health technology to disrupt the status quo of health inequalities across the world.

Mobility: We go the extra mile to tackle healthcare deserts in communities worldwide.

Global health: We implement global health initiatives for an impactful change on the community level.

Our approach

Initiating strategic partnerships with international actors of the fight against cardiovascular and chronic diseases (World Health Organization, United Nations’ development agencies, the World Heart Federation).

Coordinating and building a network of cardiovascular health experts (physicians, researchers, scholars, and public health strategists) to aid our mission.

Encouraging South/South collaborations to advance regional cardiology practice.

The Heart Fund at a glance

Established in 2010 by pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. David Luu, The Heart Fund (THF) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to democratizing access to cardiovascular care and health education, and to advancing cardiology research and practice in developing countries.

In 2018, The Heart Fund was granted the United Nations – ECOSOC Special Consultative Status, and has been working with international development agencies (UN, WHO, PAHO, OCHA, PADF), governments, medical companies, and both local and international partners of the civil society.

The Heart Fund is a member of the World Heart Federation and has offices in Paris and New York City.

The founders

Dr. David Luu

Founder & President
David Luu, MD, is a pediatric cardiac surgeon, entrepreneur, and humanitarian. He is the founder and president of The Heart Fund. Dr. Luu heads up a team that works to improve the cardiovascular health of vulnerable populations in developing countries.
‍

See the profile of David

Virginie Gallardo

Co-founder, Chief Operating Office

Virginie is a lawyer involved in the implementation of positive impact projects. As the Chief Operating Officer of The Heart Fund, she supervises and works on all THF programs. Virginie is passionate about human development, and her driving force is to contribute to democratizing health worldwide.

See the profile of Virginie

Paul Nguyen

Co-founder, Chief Financial Officer

Paul Nguyen is a real estate consultant, global philanthropist, and the co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of The Heart Fund.

‍

See the profile of Paul

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About The Heart Fund

Established in 2010 by pediatric cardiac surgeon Dr. David LUU, The Heart Fund (THF) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to democratizing access to cardiovascular care and health education, and to advancing cardiology research and practice in low- and middle- income countries. From last mile delivery (smart ecosystem The Heart Mobile™) to corrective surgery and epidemiological research, THF has been developing innovative and culturally-relevant solutions to better prevent, assess, and manage chronic diseases in low-resource settings.

The Heart Fund was granted the United Nations - ECOSOC Special Consultative Status in 2018 and has been working with international development agencies (UN, WHO, PAHO, OCHA, PADF), governments, medical companies, as well as with local and international partners of civil society. It is a member of the World Heart Federation and has offices in Paris, Abidjan, and New York City.

USA

c/o NYC Surgical 14 East 60th Street, Suite 501, New York, NY 10022

Delaware corporation & 501 (c) (3)
tax-exempt organization.

France

83 rue de Dunkerque - 75009 Paris

Fonds de dotation déclaré à la
préfecture de Paris. Publié au JO du 28 août 2010 sous le n°20100035 régi par loi n° 2008-776 du 4 août 2008 de modernisation de l’économie.
Comptes audités par le cabinet Deloitte.

Côte d'Ivoire

Cité Atlantide 2
Port Bouet
Route de Bassam
Abidjan