Women’s Cardiovascular Healthcare Foundation
The Dassault Group extends its support to the Women’s Cardiovascular Healthcare Foundation (Agir pour le Cœur des Femmes), a vital public health initiative. Founded in 2020 by renowned cardiologist Professor Claire Mounier-Vehier and Thierry Drilhon, the Corporate CEO and Director, the organization is dedicated to the fight against cardiovascular disease in women, the world’s leading cause of death. By focusing on prevention, awareness, and improving pathways for healthcare, the Women’s Cardiovascular Healthcare Foundation aims to save 10,000 lives over five years.
A Strategic Partnership for Women’s Health
Since February 2024, the Dassault Group has been the principal partner of the Observatoire National de la Santé des Femmes, a flagship project of the endowment fund. This observatory offers a unique panorama of women’s cardiovascular and gynecological health in France based on data collected during screenings carried out by the traveling Heart Bus (le Bus du Cœur) and Women’s Heart Days (les Journées du Cœur des Femmes).
Awareness, Prevention and Medical Research
Cardiovascular diseases, which kill six times more women than breast cancer, are often neglected by the female population, mainly due to a lack of follow-up care and awareness. The Dassault Group is committed to supporting the actions carried out by the Women’s Cardiovascular Healthcare Foundation in pursuit of several key objectives:
- Raise awareness and inform women about their cardiovascular health during each hormonal phase (contraception, pregnancy, perimenopause).
- Accelerate active prevention by facilitating access to screening and cardiovascular care for all.
- Train healthcare professionals for effective transgenerational prevention.
- Advance research on the specificities of cardiovascular diseases in women.
As Marie-Hélène Habert, the Dassault Group’s Director of Communication and Patronage, explains, “Raising awareness and preventing cardiovascular disease in women is a public-interest initiative. We hope that our support will be emulated by other actors in the private sector so that we can continue to provide better information and save many lives.”
Specific Projects with Tangible Benefits for Patients
- The Heart Bus, launched in 2021, travels across France to inform, raise awareness, and screen for cardiovascular and gynecological diseases, particularly among vulnerable women. Nearly 10,000 women have been screened, the majority of whom presented several risk factors.
- Complementing this action, Women’s Heart Day organizes screenings in various health establishments, expanding the scope to a wider audience especially in underserved areas.
- The Cœur—Artères—Femmes (Heart—Arteries—Women) pathway at Lille University Hospital offers comprehensive care, including consultations specifically designed for women at risk.
- The endowment fund supports epidemiological, clinical and fundamental research projects aimed at better understanding the specificities of cardiovascular disease in women. This research is essential for the development of appropriate prevention and treatment strategies.
By mobilizing a vast network of healthcare professionals and adopting innovative approaches to screening and education, the endowment plays a key role in reducing gender inequalities in health and improving women’s quality of life. The Dassault Group is proud to contribute!
