Health promotion and cardiovascular disease prevention in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Recent population studies demonstrate an increasing burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related risk factors in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The mitigation or reversal of this trend calls for effective health promotion and preventive interventions. In this article, we review the core principles, challenges, and progress in promoting cardiovascular health with special emphasis on interventions to address physical inactivity, poor diet, tobacco use, and adverse cardiometabolic risk factor trends in SSA. We focus on the five essential strategies of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Successes highlighted include community-based interventions in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Mauritius and school-based programs in Kenya, Namibia, and Swaziland. We address the major challenge of developing integrated interventions, and showcase partnerships opportunities. We conclude by calling for intersectoral partnerships for effective and sustainable intervention strategies to advance cardiovascular health promotion and close the implementation gap in accordance with the 2009 Nairobi Call to Action on Health Promotion.

Keywords: AMREF; ARL; African Medical and Research Foundation; African Research Leader; CDTI; CORIS; CVD; Cardiovascular disease; Coronary Risk Factor Study; DALY; DFID; Department for International Development; GDP; HPSI; Health Promoting Schools Initiative; Health promotion; HiAP; LMIC; MRC; Medical Research Council; NCD; NHLBI; National Heart Lung and Blood Institute; Non-communicable diseases; PHC; Prevention; SSA; Sub-Saharan Africa; UIS; UNESCO; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; UNFPA; UNICEF; United Nations Children's Fund; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; United Nations Population Fund; WHO; WHO-AFRO; World Health Organization; World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa; community directed treatment with ivermectin; disability adjusted life years; gross domestic product; health in all policies; low-to-middle income countries; non-communicable disease; primary health care; sub-Saharan Africa.