CARDIO4Cities is the Novartis Foundation’s flagship approach for cardiometabolic population health. It helps cities use data, AI and cross-sector collaboration to develop local blueprints for measurable population health impact — from earlier detection of cardiovascular risk to better care, stronger systems and healthier urban populations.
CARDIO4Cities works with cities and partners committed to improving cardiovascular population health through locally owned, evidence-based action. This is only possible thanks to a strong coalition of partners and co-funders from healthcare, technology and insurance industries, other foundations, and multilateral organizations such as UNDP and the Development Banks.
The Novartis Foundation is a not-for-profit organization and an autonomous legal entity separate from Novartis AG. It works to improve health and narrow existing health disparities in cities.
Its mission is to innovate the way the health of urban populations is managed and improved. It does this through data-driven, AI-enabled action and multisector partnerships that bridge the health and health-influencing sectors.
CARDIO4Cities builds on this mission by helping cities translate data, evidence and partnership into practical roadmaps for cardiovascular population health.
The Novartis Foundation is funded by Novartis but is drug agnostic and unrelated to Novartis Group’s commercial operations. It has a clear mission to improve the health of populations and operates under the oversight of an independent Board of Trustees.
The CARDIO4Cities approach takes a holistic view of health in cities and encourages collaboration across disciplines and sectors, building public private partnerships (PPPs) that enhance healthy lifestyles and early detection.
São Paulo, Brazil
Health policies work on a country level, but health solutions must meet local needs while still being simple. CARDIO4Cities strikes this very delicate balance, and helped us tremendously in identifying the right interventions to transform heart health in São Paulo. With our learnings, we have now expanded the program to more cities in Brazil.
Stanford, CA, United States of America
While our current healthcare approach focuses on treating diseases in individuals, it lacks the infrastructure to effectively manage population health. New initiatives like CARDIO4Cities offer significant potential to optimize strategic investments.
São Paulo, Brazil
BP is a philanthropic hospital with a strong social commitment. Through CARDIO4Cities, we are expanding and amplifying our impact towards even more people in need in Brazil. We are happy to host the CARDIO4Cities Regional HUB, to be able to extend this impact to Latin America and Portuguese-speaking countries, further strengthening our commitment to the prevention of non-communicable diseases, health promotion, and a more equitable healthcare system.
Zurich, Switzerland
In 2024, we supported the replication of the CARDIO4Cities approach in two municipalities in Northeastern Brazil. Preventing noncommunicable diseases, accounting for 75% of non-pandemic deaths globally, is key for the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems. The Swiss Re Foundation supports a focus on prevention rather than treatment, as this approach can improve the quality of life for individuals and reduce the costs associated with chronic diseases.