The Challenge
Cardiovascular Disease: A Global “Pandemic” That Could be Prevented
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming approximately 17.9 million lives annually.
CVDs encompass a range of heart and blood vessel disorders, including coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, hypertension and rheumatic heart disease. Worldwide, the prevalence of CVDs is on the rise, adding to the dual burden of diseases alongside communicable illnesses in certain countries.
While the reduction in cardiovascular mortality is leveling off in most high-income countries, this trend does not apply to many developing countries, where health systems are less robust. This burden disproportionately affects populations in low and middle-income countries, especially children and young adults.
The Challenge in Africa
Africa is facing a double burden of disease, with a rise in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) alongside endemic infectious diseases. The increasing prevalence of CVDs in Africa demands urgent attention, yet accurate data, diagnostic services, and healthcare infrastructure remain limited.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 23% of global Rheumatic Heart Disease cases. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is an inflammatory condition that damages the heart valve, primarily affecting children, adolescents, and young adults. It starts as a strep throat infection, which, if untreated, can lead to acute rheumatic fever and eventually chronic cardiac valve disease.
RHD is a major cause of heart disease in individuals under 25, with 33,194,900 cases reported worldwide, resulting in 305,000 deaths, mainly affecting those under 70 years old.
Heart Disease Statistics in Sub-Saharan Africa
In Sub-Saharan Africa, up to 1-3% of children show early signs of RHD. It is strongly linked to low socioeconomic status.
Hypertension affects 27-46% of the population.
Infant mortality due to congenital heart disease increased by 38.1% in central, western, and eastern sub-Saharan Africa. Peripartum cardiomyopathies occur in approximately 1 in 100 deliveries.
Heart failure admissions into cardiac units range from 26% to 30%.
Annual stroke incidence is 316 per 100,000.
Personnel & Infrastructure Challenges
Africa has approximately 2,000 practicing cardiologists for a population of 1.2 billion people.
Sub Saharan Africa has 1 surgeon for every 3.3 million people.
By 2030 Africa will require 4.2 million healthcare workers.
Some countries have fewer than one imaging device per million individuals.
11 countries lack any scanners.
Limited availability of Cardiac MRI/CT services, with only eight countries offering them.
Approximately 22 cardiothoracic centers exist, leading to geographical disparities.
One-third of countries lack pacemaker centers.
Over half of countries lack coronary catheterization laboratories.
Our Solution
With the help of our global partners, we are addressing these gaps by providing treatment, training health professionals, preventing disease, conducting research, and creating partnerships.
Investing in comprehensive cardiovascular care is essential for both health and economic reasons, as CVDs significantly impact productivity and healthcare costs. Addressing these challenges requires increased research funding, strategic collaboration, and the development of specialized healthcare facilities. Efforts to retain and train healthcare professionals are also critical, necessitating collaboration between governments, NGOs, and international organizations.
