Tanzania, Uganda top Africa in heart disease control

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is ranked second after Uganda in the list of African countries that have so far achieved remarkable success in efforts to curb deaths associated with heart diseases, data shows.

Tanzania, through the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), has managed to perform at least 413 rare open heart surgeries since it was established in 2015. Of these patients, 20 (5 per cent) died after surgeries.

According to the data issued by the Unit of Research, Training and Consultancy at JKCI, Tanzania is among African countries that have successfully performed rare heart surgeries.

JKCI has attended about 33,500 patients with cardiovascular co mplications between January and August, 2016.

Speaking to The Citizen, yesterday, JKCI director of cardiology services, Dr Peter Kisenge, noted that the number of deaths associated with heart complications has significantly dropped.

“We have been working hard to save people’s lives with heart complications in Tanzania and neighbouring countries,” he said, adding:

“The government allocates us sufficient funds to promote health service delivery in the country. It sends specialists abroad for training.”

The specialist mentioned the common rare heart complications that contribute to a number of deaths at the institute as coronary artery diseases (CAD). He urged people must be aware of heart diseases.

“We have been receiving a number of patients with CAD. The disease happens when the arteries that supply blood to heart muscle become hardened and narrowed resulting into heart failure, it is very rare to treat CAD,” he noted.

He said JKCI was well equipped with modern equipment including implantable devices for heart failure treatment and catheteriation laboratory (cath lab) that guarantees diagnostic services to patients.

“We have performed a number of rare heart surgeries by implanting devices such as pacemaker to treat heart disease.

“Early treatment for heart diseases can prevent or limit number of deaths that are associated with rare heart complications,” noted the leading cardiologist.

In Africa, Nigeria has highest number of deaths associated with heart diseases (18 per cent) followed by Sudan (17 per cent), Kenya (16 per cent), Ivory Coast (12 per cent), South Africa (10 per cent), Mozambique (5 per cent), Egypt (5 per cent), Ghana (4 per cent) while Tanzania and Uganda have the smallest mortality rates below 3 per cent each.

At the same time, the JKCI director of research, Dr Pedro Pallangyo, noted that the number of both outpatients and inpatients at the institute was projected to increase before the end of the year. He said the Institute was currently receiving about 200 outpatients per day.

“The institute was receiving at least 80 outpatients per day from January to August; we are receiving 200 now,” Dr Pallangyo said.