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Africa

Africa

Africa is home to more than 1 billion people and is a major contributor to the global burden of cardiovascular disease.

In 2019, more than 1 million deaths were attributable to CVD in sub-Saharan Africa, which constituted 5.4% of all global CVD-related deaths and 13% of all deaths in Africa.

2nd
CVD is the second leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa
1M+
More than 1 million people die every year from CVD in Africa
1/2
High blood pressure is responsible for more than half of all CVD deaths in Africa

Living with CVD in Africa

Reforming rural healthcare: hypertension in Kenya

Reforming rural healthcare: hypertension in Kenya

The beat of change: rheumatic heart disease in Mozambique

The beat of change: rheumatic heart disease in Mozambique

Colours to Save Hearts

RHD is the most commonly acquired heart disease in people under 25

Colours to Save Hearts is an initiative aimed at raising awareness of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) among children, teachers and parents, and educate them about the link between sore throat and rheumatic heart disease, how to recognise symptoms and what to do when they first appear.

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WHF African Summit on Best Practices and Access to Care

The World Heart Federation African Summit on Best Practices and Access to Care was held in Khartoum, Sudan on 10 and 11 October 2017 in collaboration with the Pan African Society of Cardiology, African Heart Network and Sudan Heart Society.

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Our Members

Burundi Cardiac Society

burundicardiologie.com

Cameroon Heart Foundation

camcarsoc.org/drupal

Cardiovascular Society (Mauritius)

cardiovascularsociety.mu

Ghanaian Society of Cardiology

gsc-gh.org

Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa

heartfoundation.co.za

Ivorian Society of Cardiology

sicard-ci.com

Kenyan-Heart National Foundation

kenyanheart.or.ke

NIGERIAN CARDIAC SOCIETY

cardiac-society.com

Nigerian Heart Foundation

nigerianheart.org

Pan-African Society of Cardiology

pascar.org

Rwanda Heart Foundation

rwandaheartfoundation.org

Senegalese society of cardiology

South African Heart Association

saheart.org

Stroke Association of Kenya

strokeassociationofkenya.or.ke

Stroke Association Support Network Ghana

care.sasnetghana.org

Uganda Heart Institute

uhi.go.ug
Become a Member

Latest News

· WHF Communications department

From the WHO African Region to the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs: WHF’s Key Priorities for Cardiovascular Health

This statement was delivered by Dr. Lilian Mbau, our Advocacy Committee member for AFRO, at the Seventy-Fifth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, under agenda item 16.9 –…
· WHF Communications department

Building Health Security in Africa: Equity, Resilience, and Continuity of Cardiovascular Care

This statement was delivered by Dr. Lilian Mbau, our Advocacy Committee member for AFRO, at the Seventy-Fifth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, under agenda item 13 –…
· WHF Advocacy department

Strengthening Rehabilitation as a Cornerstone of Cardiovascular Care in the African Region

This statement was delivered by Dr. Lilian Mbau, our Advocacy Committee member for AFRO, at the Seventy-Fifth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, under agenda item 9 –…
· WHF Advocacy department

Accelerating Progress for Women’s and Children’s Heart Health in the African Region

This statement was delivered by Dr. Lilian Mbau, our Advocacy Committee member for AFRO, at the Seventy-Fifth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, under agenda item 8 –…
WHF Board Members win prestigous Alan Pifer Award for their research on women and heart health
· WHF Communications department

WHF Board Members win prestigous Alan Pifer Award for their research on women and heart health

WHF Past President Prof Karen Sliwa and Board Member Prof Liesl Zühlke have been awarded the University of Cape Town’s prestigious Alan Pifer Award in recognition of their outstanding work…
a group of Colours to Save Heart supporters gather in Maputo, Mozambique
· WHF Communications department

Colours to Save Heart engages community leaders in Maputo, Mozambique

Throughout the month of October, our partners in Mozambique organized a series of community outreach activities in the KaMavota neighbourhood of Maputo as part of the Colours to Save Hearts…
Group of heart professionals coming together for a WHF roundtable about hypertension based in Accra, Ghana
· WHF Communications department

WHF Roundtables on hypertension in Accra, Ghana

From 31 August to 1 September, the Ghanaian Society of Cardiology (GSC), the Stroke Association Support Network – Ghana (SASNET-Ghana) in partnership with the World Heart Federation, brought together key…
· WHF Communications department

Addressing air pollution in the WHO African region

This is a statement made at the 72nd Session of the World Health Organization RCM for the AFRO Region on Agenda item 13: Updated regional strategy for the management of environmental determinants…
· WHF Communications department

Addressing noncommunicable diseases in the WHO African region

This is a statement made at the 72nd Session of the World Health Organization RCM for the AFRO Region on Agenda item 7: PEN-Plus – A regional strategy to address severe…

All Topics

An image depicting air pollution. The image shows a lot of smoke covering skyscrapers in the distance

Air pollution
Chagas, a healthcare professional tending to a young child

Chagas Disease
Senior male doctor using stethoscope to examine elderly woman during medical consultation

Cholesterol
Friendly nurse preps patient prior to COVID-19 vaccine shot

Covid-19
Healthcare worker checking blood sugar levels of an elderly woman using a glucometer at home

Diabetes
a young couple preparing a healthy meal on an island in the kitchen

Healthy diet
senior couple taking a walk through a park surrounded by green trees

Heart failure

HYPERTENSION

Influenza

OBESITY
A photo of a group of people doing yoga

Prevention
An image of a doctor and a patient

RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE
A photo of two cigarettes sat in a red ash tray

Tobacco

Women & CVD