Global heath burden enormous and growing

Furthermore, 78 per cent of global mortality and 86 per cent of mortality and morbidity from CVD occurs in developing countries. By 2020 it is estimated that CVD will become the leading cause of the global health burden.

Africa has not been spared this global tide of CVD. In most African countries CVD is now the second most common cause of death after infectious disease.

African countries therefore face a double burden as they struggle to cope with the burden of communicable diseases and diseases associated with lack of socioeconomic development.

In the same vein, 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.

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.

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.

The institute has been working hard to save people's lives with heart complications in Tanzania and neighbouring countries.

While we commend the efforts of institute to save life, we at the same time appeal to the government to allocate sufficient funds to promote health service delivery in the country and the government should also send specialists abroad for training.

The specialists had mentioned the common rare heart complications that contribute to a number of deaths at the institute as coronary artery diseases (CAD). Coronary artery disease develops when the major blood vessels that supply your heart with blood, oxygen and nutrients become damaged or diseased.

Thanks for the JKCI which is well equipped with modern equipment including implantable devices for heart failure treatment and catheteriation laboratory (cath lab) that guarantees diagnostic services to patients.

The facility had also performed a number of rare heart surgeries by implanting devices such as pacemaker to treat heart disease.

According to cardiologists early treatment for heart diseases can prevent or limit number of deaths that are associated with rare heart complications.

In Africa, Nigeria has highest number of deaths associated with heart diseases followed by Sudan Kenya, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Mozambique, Egypt and Ghana 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.

"According to reports the institute was receiving at least 80 outpatients per day from January to August but it now receives 200.