Celebrating excellence
Prof. Karen Sliwa, the Director of the Cape Heart Institute at the University of Cape Town, received the prestigious European Cardiac Society Heart Failure Association Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising decades of scientific leadership, mentorship, & dedication to advancing heart failure care worldwide. The Award was presented by the president of the Heart Failure Society, Prof. Marco Metra.
Prof. Sliwa also presented the HFA Philip Poole Wilson Lecture with the title: "Heart Failure in a Globalized World-Bridging Epidemiology, Inequity, and Innovation". The congress theme for 2026 is “Evolution in Heart Failure”, reflecting rapid advances in diagnosis, treatment, remote monitoring, and precision medicine.
Prof. Sliwa is currently attending the HFA Congress 2026 edition, organised by the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, in Barcelona from 9–12 May 2026 at the Fira Gran Via congress centre. The congress focuses on the latest developments in heart failure treatment, digital health, AI-powered solutions, medical devices, and cardiovascular research.
Some of the major highlights on day 2 of the event (10 May) included:
- Late-breaking scientific sessions on advanced heart failure therapies
- Discussions on implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and ventricular assist devices
- Research presentations on inflammatory risk in heart failure patients
- New studies involving digital monitoring and innovative treatment approaches
