Professor Fausto Pinto is the first Portuguese in the history of the Presidency of the World Heart Federation
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Professor Fausto J. Pinto will be the 22nd president of the World Heart Federation (WHF), which, for the first time in more than 40 years of history, has a Portuguese as president.

In an interview with Just News, the Professor says that he was encouraged to run for it by a group of colleagues, and the process took place according to the procedures defined in the organization's statutes.

Fausto J. Pinto got 80% of the votes in the elections and succeeds South African Karen Sliwa. His mandate, which starts on 1 January, intends to continue the mission of "mitigating the impact of cardiovascular diseases", in a position that has already been occupied by cardiologists from different parts of the world.

Regarding the mission of the institution he will preside over, the Professor clarified that the WHF “has as main objectives the promotion of healthy lifestyles globally and to support the research and development of strategies to lessen the impact of cardiovascular diseases, which continue to be the number one cause of mortality and morbidity”.

He considers the World Heart Federation to be a “a kind of United Nations in the cardiovascular area”, developing its action plan “in close relationship with the WHO and operating through its own members”, he explained in the latest edition of the “Public Hospital”, published by Just News.

In addition, raising the awareness of the populations and their respective policy makers is one of the premises of the activity that the Federation has conducted over the years.

Established in 1978, the WHF is a non-governmental organization based in Geneva, resulting from the merger of the International Society of Cardiology (ISC) with the International Cardiology Federation (ICF).

The Portuguese Society of Cardiology made a public statement, congratulating Professor Fausto J. Pinto for the Presidency of the World Heart Federation. “It is also Portuguese Cardiology that is to be congratulated on seeing one of its most distinguished members elevated to such a high responsibility. A man of humanistic causes and values, he will certainly carry these principles he believes in and has been striving for in many fields in his new functions”, the statement said.

The Professor thanked the best wishes received, expressing strong appreciation for the “unsurpassed support of the SPC, at all times”, reinforcing the commitment to conduct “joint work, in favour of the community we serve in order to fulfil our common goals (WHF/SPC) to promote "Cardiovascular Health for All", both in health and in disease, so that we have a healthier population”.

In the same interview, the Professor also commented on the planning of the current academic year, emphasizing that, “We have a hybrid system, in which the theoretical part is taught remotely, but the practical component is ensured face-to-face. And it has to continue to be that way”.

In defence of continuity and an ever greater commitment to the quality of medical training, Fausto J. Pinto reiterated that, “We cannot neglect the training of future doctors. This is, in fact, a unique opportunity from the training point of view, because students are being trained in an environment where it is important that they are trained, not least because the situation we are experiencing may well be repeated again”.

The details of the interview, which also recalls the tribute paid by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology to Professor Fausto J. Pinto, cab be read here.