Our strategy

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Dr. Glen Pyle talking to a member of his research team

Heart disease and stroke is the #1 cause of premature death in women in Canada. 

It’s time to change that.

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Setting a course for success

Transforming our healthcare system will be a massive collaborative effort, built on these pillars.

A woman in a lab coat looks at medical images on a screen

Transforming women’s healthcare journey

We will catalyze efforts to transform heart and brain care for women, engaging healthcare stakeholders and women as active partners.

Two indigenous women having a cheerful conversation by a reception desk

Stressing health equity and Indigenous wellbeing

We will embed health equity and Indigenous health and reconciliation lenses into each of these priorities to address systemic barriers.

Report documents inequities that put women at risk

System failure, a new Heart & Stroke report, shows how gaps in awareness, research, diagnosis and care threaten the heart and brain health of women in Canada, and what it will take to overcome these challenges.

Four women’s faces are shown side by side.

Report tallies mental health toll of stroke

Women face a higher risk of mental and emotional challenges after stroke. Learn more in the new Heart & Stroke report: Stroke and mental health.

Stroke survivor Lisa Meeches

Closing knowledge gaps to drive impacts

Christina Stuwe, living with heart disease
Risk factors

Build knowledge on women-specific risks

Increased understanding of risk factors that affect women across their life stages will enable better prevention and management.
A doctor explains information on a paper to a woman patient.
Diagnosis and treatment

Ensure timely access to the right care

By improving awareness of heart and brain conditions that impact women, we will help increase earlier detection and timely treatment.
woman speaking with her doctor
Rehabilitation and recovery

Support recovery and optimal health

Reduce barriers that can keep women away and ensure access to appropriate rehabilitation that adopts a whole-person approach.

Help all women get the care they need.

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How you can get involved

Experience women’s stories

See how the research gap impacts the lives of real women and those who love them. 

Take action now

Learn what you can do to improve health outcomes for more women in Canada.

Get the report

System failure, a new Heart & Stroke report, documents the inequities that threaten women’s heart and brain health.