1 November 2014

Dear friends,
More than a year ago, thanks to your generosity, we were able to establish the “Women Heart Health Center” (WHHC) affiliated to the “Yaduna Foundation”.
As you already know, this Center was created to decrease the death rate from cardiovascular diseas-es, considered as the leading cause of mortality both in Lebanon and worldwide.
The Center was launched in collaboration with the American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine & Medical Center (AUBMC) and Saint Joseph University Faculty of Medicine (USJ/FM), the two most prestigious faculties in Lebanon.
The WHHC was founded in order to improve women’s cardiovascular health through prevention, ear-ly diagnosis and primary treatment. It also aims at covering the expenses incurred by social security institutions.
Now that the Center’s work has gained momentum on the ground, it is important to assess the per-formance in light of the results achieved as measured against the initial objectives.
This is why the Board of Directors, that I have the honor to preside over, has decided to share with you and the general public, the major difficulties and obstacles that we have encountered and the ways in which we have addressed them.
These can be summarized in two sections:
First, expanding the presently insufficient awareness programs, which emphasize the importance of prevention, a vital factor in decreasing cardiovascular disease.
Second, urging social security institutions to give preventive treatment and early diagnosis high priori-ty as they contribute to reducing hospital bills over the medium and long term.
Accordingly, we will continue to engage with social security institutions to induce them to cover the expenses of “diagnosis and preventive treatment”, thus sharing the burden carried by “Yaduna”.
Friends of “Yaduna”…
Your generosity has brought back hope to the hearts of all women. Thanks to you, this dream has come true and continues to protect their hearts...for they are the hearts of life!
I would like to thank you all for your continuous support.
May you all be blessed with everlasting good health.

Wafaa Michel Sleiman
President Yaduna