Boehringer Ingelheim launches first-of-a-kind fundraising model to support disease awareness projects

Today, Boehringer Ingelheim announces a new partnership with the fundraising expert ammado for the global disease awareness initiative 1 Mission 1 Million – Getting to the Heart of Stroke. The partnership will support 1 Mission 1 Million’s ongoing work in atrial fibrillation (AF) by providing an online platform www.heartofstroke.com where projects, aimed at preventing AF-related strokes, can raise funds for a common cause in a centralised hub.

The public will be able to donate to their favourite projects on the initiative website, and the first projects to reach 75% of their fundraising target will receive the remaining 25% from the campaign sponsor, Boehringer Ingelheim (up to a value of €2,500). €100,000 in reward donations is available for the first projects to reach their fundraising targets. 1 Mission 1 Million has also launched petition and story-sharing activities to support its mission to prevent one million AF-related strokes per year worldwide.

As many as three million people worldwide suffer an AF-related stroke every year, equivalent to one person every 10 seconds. 1-5 AF-related strokes are more severe and are associated with more disability than non atrial fibrillation-related strokes. 3 However, many people are not fully aware of the increased risk of stroke associated with AF. 6

Project submissions are now open and fundraising will commence shortly thereafter, when 1 Mission 1 Million, supported by leading health experts and more than 40 patient and professional organisations, will encourage the public to donate to projects that help prevent AF-related stroke.

“ammado is honoured to have been selected to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim as the fundraising platform for this important and unique initiative. We hope that ammado’s global capabilities will help raise awareness of AF-related stroke internationally and that 1 Mission 1 Million will foster some innovative solutions to identify and prevent these types of strokes,” commented Peter Conlon, ammado CEO. “We look forward to working with 1 Mission 1 Million’s highly respected partners to make the campaign a global success.”

Petition for change addressed at the World Health Organization

1 Mission 1 Million has launched a petition to call upon the World Health Organization, its member states, and health authorities worldwide to recognise AF as a risk factor for stroke and set clinical management targets that could save one million mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts and grandparents each year through better diagnosis, atrial fibrillation management, stroke prevention and education. The global initiative is calling for at least one million members of the public around the world to provide their support and sign the petition at www.heartofstroke.com.

Sharing inspiring stories

People who are affected by AF, care for someone with this diagnosis, or work in the field are invited to share their AF stories, via the 1 Mission 1 Million initiative website, whether personal or professional, to inspire and encourage others around the world.

Prof. Dr. Klaus Dugi, Corporate Senior Vice President Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim commented, “1 Mission 1 Million is already a change-maker in AF-related stroke prevention, and this year, the initiative will be bigger than ever with the introduction of the petition, projects and stories. The partnership with ammado is a real first in the pharmaceutical industry and we are proud to be a driving force in finding innovative solutions to help improve the lives of people with AF.”

To submit a project, sign the petition or share a story, please visit www.heartofstroke.com.

References

1. Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke, World Health Organization, September 2004.. Last viewed August 2011 at http://www.who.int/cardiovascular_diseases/en/cvd_atlas_15_burden_stroke.pdf
2. Global Atlas on cardiovascular disease prevention and control. Viewed April 2012 http://www.world-heart-federation.org/publications/reports/global-atlas-on-cvd/
3. Lin HJ, Wolf PA, Kelly-Hayes M, et al. Stroke severity in atrial fibrillation: the Framingham study. Stroke 1996; 27:1760-4.
4. Wolf PA, Abbott RD & Kannel WB. Atrial fibrillation as an independent risk factor for stroke: the Framingham Study. Stroke 1991; 22(8):983-8.
5. Marini C, De Santis F, Sacco S, et al. Contribution of atrial fibrillation to incidence and outcome of ischaemic stroke:
6. SPEAK about AF Survey (2011) – ISBN 978-3-9814382-0-8.
7. Stewart S, Murphy N, Walker A, et al. Cost of an emerging epidemic: an economic analysis of atrial fibrillation in the UK. Heart 2004; 90:286-92.
8. Lloyd-Jones DM, Wang TJ, Leip EP, et al. Lifetime risk for development of atrial fibrillation: the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation 2004; 110:1042-6.
9. Goodacre S, et al. ABC of clinical electrocardiography. Atrial arrhythmias. Br Med J 2002; 324:594-7.
10. Kannel WB & Benjamin EF. Status of the epidemiology of atrial fibrillation. Med Clin North Am 2008;92:17-40.
11. Kelly-Hayes M, et al. The influence of gender and age on disability following ischemic stroke: The Framingham Study. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis 2003; 12:119-266.
12. Wolf PA, Abbott RD, Kannel WB. Atrial fibrillation as an independent risk factor for stroke: the Framingham Study. Stroke 1991; 22(8);983-8.
13. Hart GR, et al. Meta-analysis: Antithrombotic therapy to prevent stroke in patients who have nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Ann Intern Med 2007; 146:857-867.