Key takeaways
Brussels, 14 January 2026 : Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, accounting for over 20 million deaths per year. The cost of cardiovascular disease for the European Union is greater than its annual budget [1].
Around three quarters of the European population live in urban areas, where the risks of developing cardiovascular disease are heightened by factors such as poverty, lack of access to healthcare and lifestyle issues. While there are many interventions for cardiovascular disease, a lack of effective implementation means these often fail to reach individuals who would benefit the most. This is particularly evident in underserved city populations, such as those experiencing poverty, and in certain ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and women.
The Cities@Heart project was designed to address these complex issues through an integrated whole-city approach, changing health policy through co-production of interventions with communities and community leaders. A pan-European consortium of 34 international partners, this public-private partnership is led by the University Medical Center Utrecht (Netherlands), the University of Birmingham (UK) and Novartis (Switzerland).
Starting in January 2026, and funded by the European Union Innovative Health Initiative, the Cities@Heart consortium will design, pilot and evaluate a series of city-level strategies to improve cardiovascular health for all. This ambitious project aims to help reduce the burden that cardiovascular disease places on urban environments, as well as reducing the health inequality gap.
The initiative - led by Professor Dipak Kotecha , Professor of Cardiology in Birmingham (UK) and Honorary Professor in Utrecht (Netherlands) - will leverage existing infrastructure from seven city councils across Europe, embedding new health technologies and innovations from industry partners. This approach aims to tackle the significant challenge of urban cardiovascular disease.
The strategies will target obesity, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and diabetes which are key drivers of common cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and vascular dementia. These disproportionately impact underserved and disadvantaged communities in urban areas, leading to avoidable deaths.
Professor Dipak Kotecha, Global Director of Cities@Heart, comments:
“Huge strides have been made to better manage disease of the heart and circulation, but they still remain the world’s biggest killers. 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.”
The project consortium involves a broad range of public and private partners, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) European Healthy Cities Network, World Heart Federation, European Heart Network, European Society of Cardiology and European Public Health Association. City-wide strategies will be tested and implemented in Belfast (Northern Ireland), Birmingham (England), Cork (Republic of Ireland), Izmir (Turkey), Łódź (Poland), Udine (Italy) and Utrecht (Netherlands). Successful strategies can then be scaled across the WHO’s network of European cities and beyond.
Jesús Ponce , Therapeutic Area Head for Cardiovascular-Renal-Metabolic at Novartis, comments:
“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.”
The consortium’s vision is that awareness, evidence-based prevention, early detection, and management of cardiovascular disease are universally accessible in urban areas, supported by new developments in health technology. Cities@Heart aims to reduce the economic burden of cardiovascular disease on society and improve quality-of-life and life expectancy for millions.
For more information, please visit the Cities@Heart project website: www.citiesatheart.eu or write to office@citiesatheart.eu.
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References
[1] EU 27 Cardiovascular Realities 2025, ESC. https://www.escardio.org/Research/ESC-Atlas-of-cardiology.
Funding acknowledgment
Cities@Heart is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No 101219389. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and COCIR, EFPIA, Europa Bío, MedTech Europe and Vaccines Europe.
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the aforementioned parties. The aforementioned parties accept no responsibility for these views.
Participating cities and institutions
Municipalities:
Municipality Utrecht, Netherlands
Municipality Łodz, Poland
Municipality Izmir, Turkey
Municipality Udine, Italy
Municipality Birmingham, UK
Municipality Belfast, UK
Municipality Cork, Ireland
Academic partners:
University Medical Center Utrecht
University of Birmingham
University of Antwerp
London School of Economics
University College Cork
University of Crete
University of Udine
Ege University
Queen's University Belfast
Polish Memorial Hospital Research Institute (Instytut Centrum Zdrowia Matki Polki w Łodzi)
Professional health organisations:
World Heart Federation
World Health Organization
European Heart Network
European Public Health Association
European Society of Cardiology
HL7 Europe
Private organisations
Novartis
NovoNordisk
Wavy Assistant B.V.
Collaborate Project Management
Health Service Executive
Huawei
Servier
Menarini
Daichii Sankyo