Our Story
History of Heart Health India Foundation
Our journey started with Ram Khandelwal, a young professional who survived a major heart attack in December 2019 at the age of 33. This event turned life upside down for him and his family. Overnight (or, to say, in the early hours of Monday morning), their lives changed from a normal nuclear family to a family living with a major heart disease. Ram and his family found the silver lining in this life-threatening disaster and decided to make this an opportunity to help others who’re at risk of such a deadly disease.
After six months of learning to live with heart conditions, Aditi and Ram started an online community in July 2020 to bring together heart attack survivors, heart patients, and their families. They started building an ecosystem of health care professionals, including doctors, mental health experts, fitness trainers, nutritionists, and more. The goal was simple: to increase awareness about heart health and related diseases and support patients, their families, and carers in their journey to live a healthy life with a heart art conditiThat’s when India’s first cardio-vascular disease (CVD) patient support group was born.
In October 2020, Ram’s story was published in Better India. The story shared Ram’s journey before and after the heart attack with a large audience and created awareness about the importance of heart health and signs to look out for. The article encouraged people to join the Facebook community and become part of the heart health movement in India.
In December 2022, Novartis India initiated dialogue with Ram and Aditi and discussed possibilities to dream bigger and scale up activities to achieve a bigger impact. In July 2023, Ram was officially designated as an ‘Unblocked Ambassador', a global initiative by Novartis. Soon, Ram helped Novartis form a panel of Unblocked Ambassadors in India that represented the patient community and family members acting as carers.
In September 2023, Ram kicked off the Unblocked Movement by Novartis and Beat Bad Cholesterol campaign in India alongside Mr. Amitabh Dube, President Novartis; Mrs. Soha Ali Khan, Bollywood actress and fitness celebrity; and Mrs. Sudha Natarajan, Director, Times Group, during the Unblocked Walkathon in Mumbai.
On World Heart Day 2023, a full-page cover story of the walkathon was published in 16 editions of The Times of India in all major cities across India. In November 2023, the Unblocked Movement was joined by famous choreographer Remo D’Souza, who recently survived a major heart attack. A cover story telling Remo’s story before, during, and after the heart attack was covered by the Times of India.
In November 2023, Ram and Aditi officially registered ‘Heart Health India Foundation’ as a non-profit organisation to support the cause. The organisation is now actively undertaking initiatives to improve the heart health scenario in India. HHIF has designated regional leads in North, Central, and South India. Further, a digital marketing team and a partnership and alliance building team have been incorporated to expand the activities.
Healthy Hearts, Happy Lives
Our Vision:
A Future Where Every Heart Beats Strong
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Empowering individuals to live a safe and heart-healthy life.
To transform heart health by educating and empowering individuals, providing comprehensive support to those in need, and advocating for patient-centric ecosystem.
Healthy Hearts, Happy Lives
Our Mission:
A Heart-Healthy Nation
Making Global And Local Alliances To Fight Heart Diseases
Our Lifeline: Partners and Sponsors
Heart Health India Foundation partners with various organisations to build an ecosystem that follows a ‘patient-centric’ approach for a heart healthy India.
NHM-MP (Partnership with Government of India)
The Heart Health India Foundation (HHIF) and the National Health Mission Madhya Pradesh (NHM-MP) have signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the CVD Patient Engagement Project, marking India's first major initiative focused on patient engagement for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The collaboration aims to transform heart health management by placing patients at the centre of healthcare delivery and policymaking.
The project’s key objectives are to elevate patient experiences and needs, educate and empower patients and families, collect detailed patient experiences to inform care improvements, use real patient stories in healthcare training, and engage patients in creating patient-centred processes, policy development, and educational materials.
To implement these objectives, the project will leverage NHM-MP's extensive network, promoting support groups via government health centres and hospitals, integrating a referral system to direct patients to these groups, and conducting educational sessions and counselling through social media.
The program will be rolled out across Madhya Pradesh’s 52 districts, targeting 50,000 patients over two years. Health centers will educate staff on the importance of patient support groups, onboard patients and families, and provide educational materials to encourage peer discussions.
NHM mission director Priyanka Das emphasized the importance of community sensitization about CVD risks and prevention measures. Funded by HHIF and NHM-MP with additional support from non-governmental sources, the project aims to enhance CVD awareness, strengthen patient support networks, increase patient empowerment, and improve healthcare delivery through patient insights, marking a significant step in combating cardiovascular diseases in India.
Global Heart Hub
Global Heart Hub (GHH) is an international organization dedicated to improving outcomes for heart failure and cardiomyopathy patients. Based in various locations worldwide, HHIF proudly represents India on the Heart Failure Patient Council and Cardiomyopathy Patient Council. Our partnership has led to significant initiatives, including the ongoing development of localized patient charters and discussion guides tailored for the Indian context, enhancing patient education and advocacy.
Novartis
Novartis is a global healthcare company focused on innovative medicines. We have previously participated with Novartis in its #Unblocked movement as #Unblocked ambassadors to improve patient advocacy and awareness for heart health.
APPISxIndia
APPISxIndia is dedicated to enhancing patient advocacy in the region. Together, we organized a two-day workshop aimed at empowering cardiovascular disease (CVD) patient leaders through knowledge exchanges. Participants engaged in discussions on rare diseases, cancer, and diabetes, developing strategies for communication and medical training, thereby strengthening the patient advocacy landscape.
SOCVPR
SoCVPR is committed to advancing cardiovascular and pulmonary health. Our partnership, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), focuses on improving patient support and education for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Together, we aim to conduct educational programs, provide expert-led sessions, and share patient stories to empower those living with heart conditions and promote proactive health management.
Asia Pacific CVD Alliance
Asia Pacific CVD Alliance
The Asia Pacific CVD Alliance is a coalition aimed at enhancing cardiovascular health across the Asia-Pacific region. By signing an MoU, HHIF aligns with this mission, collaborating with major pharmaceutical companies like Amgen, Novartis, and Roche Diagnostics. Our participation in regional conferences and summits helps amplify our advocacy efforts, driving initiatives that improve cardiovascular health in the community.
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Patient for Patient Safety India (P4PSI)
P4PSI is dedicated to improving patient safety across India. As a member of their advisory board, HHIF collaborates with esteemed organizations like the Yuvraj Singh Foundation on policy advocacy efforts. This partnership aims to promote patient safety initiatives and ensure that the voices of heart disease patients are heard in policy discussions.
Kidney Warriors Foundation
The Kidney Warriors Foundation advocates for kidney health and patient support. Our collaboration aims to create awareness about the connections between heart and kidney health, promoting holistic health strategies for patients and families affected by these conditions.
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Big FM
Big FM is a leading radio network that focuses on delivering engaging content to audiences across India. HHIF partnered with Big FM, collaborating with the famous radio jockey from Central India, RJ Pihu, to raise awareness about heart disease through educational radio segments and campaigns. Our collaboration included messages on heart health and the importance of patient support, particularly targeting fathers to emphasize preventive care.
The Better India
The Better India is a digital platform that shares inspiring stories of change across the country. An article featuring Ram Khandelwal's journey with heart disease was published, significantly contributing to raising awareness about heart health among younger audiences and highlighting the importance of early detection and prevention.
Times Of India
The Times of India (TOI) is one of India's leading newspapers. Our ongoing partnership involves regular coverage of heart health topics and HHIF-related news, ensuring that vital information reaches a wide audience and encourages community engagement in cardiovascular health initiatives. On behalf of HHIF, our founder joined various other dignitaries like - Mandira Bedi, Amitabh Dubey, Iris Zemzoum, Prakash D’Souza, and Dr. B C Kalmath, along with other dignitaries from across the globe and India for the cause supported by #Unblocked movement (by Novartis) and #BeatBadCholesterol campaign (by TOI). They came together to raise awareness about heart health and promote heart-healthy living. In a walkathon, coorganized by TOI and Novartis, over 300 Mumbai citizens came together to raise awareness about heart health including actress Soha Ali Khan and our founder – Ram Khandelwal.
