A reflection of Africa’s cardiac surgery capacity to manage congenital heart defects: a perspective

Abstract

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are birth abnormalities that may drastically alter the structure and functionality of the heart. For 70% of infants with congenital disorders to survive or maintain a better quality of life, surgery is necessary. Over 500 000 of the 1.5 million CHD cases reported annually, or 1% of all live births, occur in Africa, according to the WHO. A surmounted 90% of these patients are from Africa, and as a consequence, 300 000 infants die annually as a result of poor care or difficulty accessing adequate healthcare. However, the high prevalence of CHDs, precipitated by a plethora of aetiologies worldwide, is particularly pronounced in Africa due to maternal infectious diseases like syphilis and rubella amongst the pregnant populace. In low- and middle-income countries, especially in Africa, where foreign missions and organizations care for the majority of complicated cardiac surgical patients, access to secure and affordable cardiac surgical therapy is a substantial issue. Interventions for CHDs are very expensive in Africa as many of the continent’s domiciles possess low expenditures and funding, thereby cannot afford the costs indicated by associated surgical treatments. Access to management and healthcare for CHDs is further hampered by a lack of trained surgical personnel, specialized tools, infrastructure, and diagnostic facilities in Africa.