PRESS RELEASE STATEMENT
Access Heart Foundation is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with HeartSistas, an advocacy organization dedicated to supporting women affected by heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease claims the lives of 1 in 3 women globally, yet women remain significantly underdiagnosed, underserved, and underrepresented in cardiovascular care. In Nigeria and across Africa, women face additional barriers including limited access to screening, delayed diagnosis, and inadequate support systems for managing heart conditions.
This collaboration brings together Access Heart Foundation’s clinical expertise and community-based healthcare delivery with HeartSistas’ powerful advocacy and lived experience to create comprehensive support systems for women at every stage of their cardiovascular health journey.
Partnership Focus & Commitments
Effective immediately, the partnership will focus on four strategic priorities:
- Expanding Awareness and Education: Joint community outreach programs will deliver targeted cardiovascular health education to women across underserved communities, with a focus on recognizing symptoms, understanding risk factors, and breaking down cultural barriers to seeking care.
- Strengthening Clinical Intervention: The partnership will support the launch of Access Heart’s Kano centre where integrated screening initiatives combining clinical assessments with peer support networks will occur. Initial programs will target high-risk populations including children with congential heart defects, women with hypertension, and women with family histories of heart disease.
- Supporting Women Living with Heart Disease: Through collaborative care pathways, women diagnosed with cardiovascular conditions will receive coordinated clinical care from Access Heart Foundation alongside advocacy support, peer mentorship, and resource navigation from HeartSistas, ensuring no woman faces her diagnosis alone.
- Driving Long-Term Impact Through Research and Advocacy: Both organizations will work together to document outcomes, share learnings, and advocate for policy changes that improve women’s access to cardiovascular care at local, national, and regional levels.
What This Means for Women
Through this partnership, women in participating communities will have access to:
- Free or subsidized cardiovascular screening and risk assessments
- Education programs delivered in accessible, culturally relevant formats
- Peer support networks connecting women living with heart disease
- Clear pathways to clinical care and treatment at Access Heart Foundation facilities
- Advocacy resources to help navigate the healthcare system
- Ongoing monitoring and support for women managing cardiovascular conditions
About Access Heart Foundation
Access Heart Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to improving access to cardiovascular care through community-based screening, advocacy, and treatment support across underserved populations.
About HeartSistas
HeartSistas is an advocacy organization focused on supporting women affected by heart disease through education, community building, and peer support. Founded and led by women who have lived through cardiovascular disease, HeartSistas provides a platform for women’s voices, experiences, and needs to shape the future of cardiovascular care and advocacy.