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Cardiothoracic surgery training in Africa: History and developments
Victory B Effiom1, Anayo J Michael2, Fatma K Ahmed3
1Research Department, Association of Future African Cardiothoracic Surgeons, Yaounde, Cameroon.
Insights
Cardiothoracic surgery in Africa faces challenges like low enrollment and resource constraints, despite a high burden of cardiovascular disease. Improving this practice requires investment and supportive healthcare policies for better population health.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- African Healthcare Systems
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease is a leading global cause of death, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries, including those in Africa.
- Cardiothoracic surgery is often inaccessible in many African nations due to high costs, leading to misconceptions about its availability.
- A significant burden of surgically correctable cardiovascular disease exists in Africa, yet surgical capacity is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current state of cardiothoracic surgery practice in Africa.
- To describe existing cardiothoracic surgery training programs across the region.
- To explore future prospects and potential improvements for cardiothoracic surgery in Africa.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
- Key aspects examined include healthcare infrastructure, cardiothoracic surgery practice, training programs, and future outlook in Africa.
Main Results:
- Established cardiothoracic surgery programs in Africa face challenges: low residency enrollment, insufficient local expertise, financial limitations, inadequate infrastructure, and flawed reimbursement systems.
- These challenges contribute to a growing burden of cardiovascular diseases that require surgical intervention.
- Despite resource constraints, cardiothoracic surgery in Africa shows resilience and growth through various initiatives.
Conclusions:
- Cardiothoracic surgery in Africa is hampered by resource limitations but demonstrates adaptability.
- Increased investment, dedicated support, and robust healthcare policies are crucial for enhancing cardiothoracic surgery capacity.
- Improving cardiothoracic surgery services can significantly impact the health and well-being of the African population.
Objective:
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, responsible for 17.5 million deaths each year, 80% of which occur in low- and middle-income countries, including countries in Africa. Cardiothoracic surgery, with its heavy financial outlay, is unavailable in many African countries. Many African healthcare givers are under the erroneous impression that the cardiovascular surgical landscape of Africa is blank. This review aims at describing the cardiothoracic surgery practice in Africa, the different training programs in the region, and its future prospects.
Method:
Through a literature review, the authors elaborate on key points, such as healthcare and cardiothoracic surgery in Africa, African cardiothoracic practice and training, and the future of cardiothoracic surgery in Africa.
Results:
African countries with established cardiothoracic surgery capacity and training programs still face several challenges across multiple levels, including a persistent low enrollment rate in residency programs, insufficient local expertise, a lack of financial resources, an inadequate health infrastructure, and a skewed health insurance reimbursement system. Thus, there is still a growing burden of surgically correctable cardiovascular disease in these countries.
Conclusions:
Cardiothoracic surgery in Africa has faced great challenges due to resource constraints, but it has demonstrated resilience and growth through diverse models and initiatives. The burden of cardiovascular diseases in Africa remains high, yet the capacity to provide cardiothoracic surgery is limited. With investment, support, and the implementation of comprehensive healthcare policies, cardiothoracic surgery practice can improve in this region and this can make a significant impact on the health and well-being of its population.
