The National Heart Alliance an independent non-governmental organisation aims to increase co-operation among organisations involved in the fight against heart disease. The Alliance currently has a membership of 30 organisations. Participants in the Alliance include representatives from a wide range of voluntary and health professional organisations including health promotion and public health, Health Services Executive, Healthy Cities and Health Promoting Hospitals Network, schools and youth sectors.

The objectives of the National Heart Alliance are:

• to disseminate findings of member organisations;
• identify and address areas of consensus and controversy, and stimulate action in new areas;
• co-ordinate activities and create active partnerships between interested organisations;
• review policy and make recommendations where appropriate.

Read the National Heart Alliance Position Statements

Participant organisations and individual members

Chairman: Prof David Kennedy
ASH Ireland
Association of Health Promotion Ireland
Athlone Institute of Technology
Dental Health Foundation
Diabetes Federation of Ireland
Dublin City University
Dublin Healthy Cities
Dublin Institute of Technology
European Institute of Women’s Health
Food Safety Authority
Food Safety Promotion Board
Health Services Executive
Institute of Community Health Nursing
Institute of Public Health
Irish Cancer Society
Irish Heart Foundation
Irish National Health Promoting - Hospitals Network
Irish Nurses Organisation
Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute
Irish Sports Council
Joint Managerial Body of Secondary Schools
National Sudden Infant Death Register
National Youth Council of Ireland
Programme of Action for Children
Marino Institute, SPHE National Coordinator
St Vincent’s University Hospital – Dept. of Preventive Medicine
University of Limerick
Waterford Institute of Technology

Work of the National Heart Alliance
The Alliance was established in December 1998 and in the period of time to date the work of the Alliance has included:

• Agreement to focus on inequalities and advocating for change rather than on intervention and education
• Development of Position Papers on Smoking, Childhood Nutrition and Physical Activity specifically as related to children and young people.
• Publication of “Directory of health promotion activities directed towards children and young people”.
• A conference on criteria for Best Practice in Health Promotion in June 2000.
• Joint Workshop National Heart Alliance / Subgroup on Health Promotion of the Advisory Forum on Priority Planning in the Cardiovascular Health Strategy in December 2000.
• Conference on Physical Activity Creating a Supportive Environment for Children and Young People in July 2001 and publication of the “National Heart Alliance Position Paper on Physical Activity for Children and Young People”, the Alliance also contributed to the development of the European Heart Network paper “Children and Young People, the Importance of Physical Activity”, a paper which was published in the context of the European Heart Health Initiative.
• The Alliance has specifically advocated for changes in the legislation relating to tobacco and highlighted the need for the provision of safe play areas and recreation facilities particularly in disadvantaged communities.
• Conference on Childhood Nutrition in April 2002 and publication of “Preventing Cardiovascular Disease, A Statement on Childhood Nutrition”.
• In 2003 and 2004 the Alliance was particularly active in advocating for amendment to legislation to ban smoking in the workplace, and supported Minister Micheal Martin in his campaign.
• 2004 Submission to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland in relation to new code for advertising to children and to National Taskforce on Obesity.
• November 2005 – Published position paper Marketing of Unhealthy Foods to Children.
• November 2006 – Published a summary of evidence on Physical Activity, Young People and the Physical Environment.  Held a multi-stakeholder consultation day on this issue in order to form policies and recommendations to present to Government.
• 2007 – currently working on a policy recommendations document regarding Physical Activity, Young People and the Physical Environment
• 2008 - updated the position paper Marketing of Unhealthy Foods to Children, and relaunched it under the Children's Food Campaign for wide dissemination
• 2009 - The Irish Heart Foundation and the National Heart Alliance launched the Childrens Food Campaign Website. Click here to read more on this important issue and to share your views on the Childrens Food Campaign  

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