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| Heart Foundation New Zealand | |
|---|---|
| Name | Heart Foundation New Zealand |
| Formation | 1965 |
| Type | Charity; health non-profit |
| Headquarters | Auckland |
| Region served | New Zealand |
| Leader title | CEO |
Heart Foundation New Zealand is a New Zealand non-profit organisation dedicated to reducing cardiovascular disease through research funding, public education, advocacy, and clinical support. Founded in the 1960s, the organisation has engaged with clinical institutions, philanthropic entities, and community groups to influence cardiovascular care, prevention, and policy across Aotearoa. It operates alongside hospitals, universities, and charities to support clinicians, researchers, and people affected by heart disease.
The organisation was established in the 1960s amid rising concern about coronary heart disease, drawing on international models such as the American Heart Association, British Heart Foundation, World Health Organization, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and local healthcare leaders from institutions like Auckland District Health Board, Wellington Hospital, Christchurch Hospital, University of Auckland, and University of Otago. Early collaborations included partnerships with research units at Otago Medical School, Auckland City Hospital, Hawke's Bay Hospital, and public health networks such as Te Whatu Ora and regional trusts. Over subsequent decades the organisation expanded grant programmes, advocated on matters intersecting with legislation such as the Smokefree Environments Act 1990 and engaged with community groups including iwi and Pasifika health providers, reflecting trends seen in organisations like Cancer Society of New Zealand and St John New Zealand.
The organisation's mission focuses on prevention, treatment, and research in cardiovascular health, aligning with peers like Stroke Foundation, Diabetes New Zealand, Kidney Health New Zealand, Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, and tertiary partners including Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington. Core activities include public education campaigns, clinical guideline support with bodies such as Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and New Zealand Medical Association, community screening events with providers like Plunket and Red Cross (New Zealand), and resources for clinicians in collaboration with Health Quality & Safety Commission (New Zealand). The organisation also produces patient resources used by hospitals including North Shore Hospital and Middlemore Hospital.
Research funding has been awarded to investigators at University of Canterbury, University of Waikato, University of Otago, Auckland University of Technology, and affiliated research centres such as Liggins Institute, Maurice Wilkins Centre, and regional health research hubs. Grant programmes have supported projects spanning epidemiology, clinical trials, and translational research, with recipients drawing on networks like NZ Heart Foundation Research Centre-style units, collaborations with Auckland Bioengineering Institute and links to international funders such as National Institutes of Health, British Heart Foundation, and European Society of Cardiology. Evaluation and peer review have involved panels with representatives from Royal Society Te Apārangi, Health Research Council of New Zealand, and specialist societies including Australasian Cardiovascular Nursing College.
The organisation has run public campaigns addressing risk factors that intersect with public policy arenas involving laws like the Smokefree Environments Act 1990 and institutions such as Ministry of Health (New Zealand), conducting collaborations with media outlets including TVNZ, Newshub, Radio New Zealand, and print partners like The New Zealand Herald. Campaigns have targeted smoking cessation, healthy diets engaging with initiatives such as the HeartSAFE programme model, physical activity promotion alongside Sport New Zealand, and awareness months coordinated with groups like World Heart Federation and Heart Foundation Australia. Education resources have been distributed to primary care networks including General practice (New Zealand), community pharmacies, and iwi health organisations.
Fundraising activities have included events and appeals similar in format to those run by Cancer Society of New Zealand and Salvation Army (New Zealand), corporate partnerships with retailers and supermarkets akin to arrangements seen with Countdown (New Zealand), and philanthropic gifts from trusts such as Rutherford Foundation-type entities and family foundations. The organisation has pursued collaborations with private healthcare providers, research funders like Lotteries Grants Board, and community groups including Samoa Health Service and Pasifika social organisations. Volunteer networks and local branches have worked with emergency services such as St John New Zealand for first-aid training and community screening events.
Governance has been overseen by a board drawing expertise from clinical, academic, legal, and financial sectors, with advisory input from bodies such as New Zealand Medical Association, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and iwi governance structures. Funding sources include donations, corporate sponsorship, charitable trusts, fundraising events, and grant income, in patterns comparable to Auckland War Memorial Museum Foundation and other national charities. Accountability mechanisms have involved audits consistent with standards set by Charities Services (New Zealand) and financial reporting to stakeholders including donors and partner institutions such as District Health Boards (New Zealand) prior to the health system reforms.
The organisation's impact includes contributions to reduced cardiovascular mortality trends documented alongside national statistics from Statistics New Zealand and policy shifts influenced by submissions to Parliament of New Zealand committees and the Ministry of Health (New Zealand). Criticism has sometimes focused on priorities for funding, perceived emphasis on biomedical approaches versus social determinants reflected in debates with Public Health Association of New Zealand, allocation of resources between urban and rural services involving regions like Canterbury and Southland, and transparency in corporate partnerships similar to controversies faced by other large charities. Independent evaluations and academic studies from institutions such as University of Otago and Victoria University of Wellington have examined outcomes, equity, and cost-effectiveness.
Category:Health charities in New Zealand Category:Medical and health organisations based in New Zealand