Making cardiac surgery feasible in African countries: Experience from Namibia, Uganda, and Zambia

Making a difference: 5 years of Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA)

Informed by the almost unimaginable unmet need for cardiac surgery in the developing regions of the world, leading surgeons, cardiologists, editors in chief of the major cardiothoracic journals as well as representatives of medical industry and government convened in December 2017 to address this unacceptable disparity in access to care. The ensuing "Cape Town Declaration" constituted a clarion call to cardiac surgical societies to jointly advocate the strengthening of sustainable, local cardiac surgical capacity in the developing world. The Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was thus created, comprising The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS), the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and the World Heart Federation (WHF). The guiding principle was advocacy for sustainable cardiac surgical capacity in low-income countries.

Making a Difference: 5 Years of Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA)

Informed by the almost unimaginable unmet need for cardiac surgery in the developing regions of the world, leading surgeons, cardiologists, editors in chief of the major cardiothoracic journals as well as representatives of medical industry and government convened in December 2017 to address this unacceptable disparity in access to care. The ensuing "Cape Town Declaration" constituted a clarion call to cardiac surgical societies to jointly advocate the strengthening of sustainable, local cardiac surgical capacity in the developing world. The Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was thus created, comprising The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS), the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and the World Heart Federation (WHF). The guiding principle was advocacy for sustainable cardiac surgical capacity in low-income countries. As a first step, a global needs assessment confirmed rheumatic heart disease as the overwhelming pathology requiring cardiac surgery in these regions. Subsequently, CSIA published a request for proposals to support fledgling programs that could demonstrate the backing by their governments and health care institution. Out of 11 applicants, and following an evaluation of the sites, including site visits to the 3 finalists, Mozambique and Rwanda were selected as the first Pilot Sites. Subsequently, a mentorship and training agreement was completed between Mozambique and the University of Cape Town, a middle-income country with a comparable burden of rheumatic heart disease. The agreement entails regular video calls between the heart teams, targeted training across all aspects of cardiac surgery, as well as on-site presence of mentoring teams for complex cases with the strict observance of "assisting only." In Rwanda, Team Heart, a US and Rwanda-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that has been performing cardiac surgery in Rwanda and helping to train the cardiac surgery workforce since 2008, has agreed to continue providing mentorship for the local team and to assist in the establishment of independent cardiac surgery with all that entails. This involves intermittent virtual conferences between Rwandan and US cardiologists for surgical case selection. Five years after CSIA was founded, its "Seal of Approval" for the sustainability of endorsed programs in Mozambique and Rwanda has resulted in higher case numbers, a stronger government commitment, significant upgrades of infrastructure, the nurturing of generous consumable donations by industry and the commencement of negotiations with global donors for major grants. Extending the CSIA Seal to additional deserving programs could further align the international cardiac surgical community with the principle of local cardiac surgery capacity-building in developing countries.

Making a difference: 5 years of Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA)

Informed by the almost unimaginable unmet need for cardiac surgery in the developing regions of the world, leading surgeons, cardiologists, editors in chief of the major cardiothoracic journals as well as representatives of medical industry and government convened in December 2017 to address this unacceptable disparity in access to care. The ensuing "Cape Town Declaration" constituted a clarion call to cardiac surgical societies to jointly advocate the strengthening of sustainable, local cardiac surgical capacity in the developing world. The Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was thus created, comprising The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS), the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and the World Heart Federation (WHF). The guiding principle was advocacy for sustainable cardiac surgical capacity in low-income countries. As a first step, a global needs assessment confirmed rheumatic heart disease as the overwhelming pathology requiring cardiac surgery in these regions. Subsequently, CSIA published a request for proposals to support fledgling programmes that could demonstrate the backing by their governments and health care institution. Out of 11 applicants, and following an evaluation of the sites, including site visits to the 3 finalists, Mozambique and Rwanda were selected as the first Pilot Sites. Subsequently, a mentorship and training agreement was completed between Mozambique and the University of Cape Town, a middle-income country with a comparable burden of rheumatic heart disease. The agreement entails regular video calls between the heart teams, targeted training across all aspects of cardiac surgery, as well as on-site presence of mentoring teams for complex cases with the strict observance of 'assisting only'. In Rwanda, Team Heart, a US and Rwanda-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that has been performing cardiac surgery in Rwanda and helping to train the cardiac surgery workforce since 2008, has agreed to continue providing mentorship for the local team and to assist in the establishment of independent cardiac surgery with all that entails. This involves intermittent virtual conferences between Rwandan and US cardiologists for surgical case selection. Five years after CSIA was founded, its 'Seal of Approval' for the sustainability of endorsed programmes in Mozambique and Rwanda has resulted in higher case numbers, a stronger government commitment, significant upgrades of infrastructure, the nurturing of generous consumable donations by industry and the commencement of negotiations with global donors for major grants. Extending the CSIA Seal to additional deserving programmes could further align the international cardiac surgical community with the principle of local cardiac surgery capacity-building in developing countries.

Barriers to Access to Cardiac Surgery: Canadian Situation and Global Context

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cardiovascular care spans primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention and care, whereby tertiary care is particularly prone to disparities in care. Challenges in access to care especially affect low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), however, multiple barriers also exist and persist across high-income countries. Canada is lauded for its universal health coverage but is faced with health care system challenges and substantial geographic barriers. Canada possesses 203 active cardiac surgeons, or 5.02 per million population, ranging from 3.70 per million in Newfoundland and Labrador to 7.48 in Nova Scotia. As such, Canada possesses fewer cardiac surgeons per million population than the average among high-income countries (7.15 per million), albeit more than the global average (1.64 per million) and far higher than the low-income country average (0.04 per million). In Canada, adult cardiac surgeons are active across 32 cardiac centres, representing 0.79 cardiac centres per million population, which is just above the global average (0.73 per million). In addition to centre and workforce variations, barriers to care exist in the form of waiting times, sociodemographic characteristics, insufficient virtual care infrastructure and electronic health record interoperability, and health care governance fragmentation. Meanwhile, Canada has highly favourable surgical outcomes, well established postacute cardiac care infrastructure, considerable spending on health, robust health administrative data, and effective health technology assessment agencies, which provides a foundation for continued improvements in care. In this narrative review, we describe successes and challenges surrounding access to cardiac surgery in Canada and globally.

Making a difference: 5 years of Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA)

Informed by the almost unimaginable unmet need for cardiac surgery in the developing regions of the world, leading surgeons, cardiologists, editors in chief of the major cardiothoracic journals as well as representatives of medical industry and government convened in December 2017 to address this unacceptable disparity in access to care. The ensuing "Cape Town Declaration" constituted a clarion call to cardiac surgical societies to jointly advocate the strengthening of sustainable, local cardiac surgical capacity in the developing world. The Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was thus created, comprising The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS), the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and the World Heart Federation (WHF). The guiding principle was advocacy for sustainable cardiac surgical capacity in low-income countries. As a first step, a global needs assessment confirmed rheumatic heart disease as the overwhelming pathology requiring cardiac surgery in these regions. Subsequently, CSIA published a request for proposals to support fledgling programs that could demonstrate the backing by their governments and health care institution. Out of 11 applicants, and following an evaluation of the sites, including site visits to the 3 finalists, Mozambique and Rwanda were selected as the first Pilot Sites. Subsequently, a mentorship and training agreement was completed between Mozambique and the University of Cape Town, a middle-income country with a comparable burden of rheumatic heart disease. The agreement entails regular video calls between the heart teams, targeted training across all aspects of cardiac surgery, as well as on-site presence of mentoring teams for complex cases with the strict observance of "assisting only." In Rwanda, Team Heart, a US and Rwanda-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) that has been performing cardiac surgery in Rwanda and helping to train the cardiac surgery workforce since 2008, has agreed to continue providing mentorship for the local team and to assist in the establishment of independent cardiac surgery with all that entails. This involves intermittent virtual conferences between Rwandan and US cardiologists for surgical case selection. Five years after CSIA was founded, its "Seal of Approval" for the sustainability of endorsed programs in Mozambique and Rwanda has resulted in higher case numbers, a stronger government commitment, significant upgrades of infrastructure, the nurturing of generous consumable donations by industry and the commencement of negotiations with global donors for major grants. Extending the CSIA Seal to additional deserving programs could further align the international cardiac surgical community with the principle of local cardiac surgery capacity-building in developing countries.

Post-surgery survival and associated factors for cardiac patients in Ethiopia: applications of machine learning, semi-parametric and parametric modelling

INTRODUCTION

Living in poverty, especially in low-income countries, are more affected by cardiovascular disease. Unlike the developed countries, it remains a significant cause of preventable heart disease in the Sub-Saharan region, including Ethiopia. According to the Ethiopian Ministry of Health statement, around 40,000 cardiac patients have been waiting for surgery in Ethiopia since September 2020. There is insufficient information about long-term cardiac patients' post-survival after cardiac surgery in Ethiopia. Therefore, the main objective of the current study was to determine the long-term post-cardiac surgery patients' survival status in Ethiopia.

METHODS

All patients attended from 2012 to 2023 throughout the country were included in the current study. The total number of participants was 1520 heart disease patients. The data collection procedure was conducted from February 2022- January 2023. Machine learning algorithms were applied. Gompertz regression was used also for the multivariable analysis report.

RESULTS

From possible machine learning models, random survival forest were preferred. It emphasizes, the most important variable for clinical prediction was SPO2, Age, time to surgery waiting time, and creatinine value and it accounts, 42.55%, 25.17%,11.82%, and 12.19% respectively. From the Gompertz regression, lower saturated oxygen, higher age, lower ejection fraction, short period of cardiac center stays after surgery, prolonged waiting time to surgery, and creating value were statistically significant predictors of death outcome for post-cardiac surgery patients' survival in Ethiopia.

CONCLUSION

Some of the risk factors for the death of post-cardiac surgery patients are identified in the current investigation. Particular attention should be given to patients with prolonged waiting times and aged patients. Since there were only two fully active cardiac centers in Ethiopia it is far from an adequate number of centers for more than 120 million population, therefore, the study highly recommended to increase the number of cardiac centers that serve as cardiac surgery in Ethiopia.

Undernutrition in young children with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery in a low-income environment

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition (undernutrition) in children with congenital disease (CHD) is a notable concern, with preoperative and persistent growth failure post-cardiac surgery contributing to poorer outcomes. Poor growth in children with CHD in low-income environments is exacerbated by feeding difficulties, poverty, delayed diagnosis, and late corrective surgery. This study describes and compares the growth of young children with CHD undergoing cardiac surgery in central South Africa from before to 6-months after cardiac surgery.

METHODS

Children 30 months and younger, with their mothers, were included in this prospective observational descriptive study. Weight- height-, and head circumference-for-age z-scores were used to identify children who were underweight, stunted and microcephalic. Z-scores for growth indices were compared from baseline to 3-months and 6-months post-cardiac surgery. Changes in growth over time were calculated using a 95% confidence interval on the difference between means. Linear regression was used to determine the association between growth and development, health-related quality of life and parenting stress respectively.

RESULTS

Forty mother-child pairs were included at baseline. Most children (n = 30) had moderate disease severity, with eight children having cyanotic defects. A quarter of the children had Down syndrome (DS). Twenty-eight children underwent corrective cardiac surgery at a median age of 7.4 months. Most children (n = 27) were underweight before cardiac surgery [mean z-score - 2.5 (±1.5)], and many (n = 18) were stunted [mean z-score - 2.2 (±2.5)]. A quarter (n = 10) of the children had feeding difficulties. By 6-months post-cardiac surgery there were significant improvements in weight (p = 0.04) and head circumference (p = 0.02), but complete catch-up growth had not yet occurred. Malnutrition (undernutrition) was strongly associated (p = 0.04) with poorer motor development [Mean Bayley-III motor score 79.5 (±17.5)] before cardiac surgery. Growth in children with cyanotic and acyanotic defects, and those with and without DS were comparable.

CONCLUSION

Malnutrition (undernutrition) is common in children with CHD in central South Africa, a low-income environment, both before and after cardiac surgery, and is associated with poor motor development before cardiac surgery. A diagnosis of CHD warrants regular growth monitoring and assessment of feeding ability. Early referral for nutritional support and speech therapy will improve growth outcomes.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on outcomes of valvular heart surgery in Africa

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of valvular heart diseases remain considerably high in Africa, largely but not solely due to rheumatic heart disease. Valvular heart surgeries have emerged as the cornerstone in their management. While several studies have reported data on outcomes following heart valve surgery in many developed countries, there is a staggering paucity of data and evidence reporting the outcomes in the Africa population. The aim of this study is to report the perioperative outcomes following valvular heart surgery in Africa.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guideline was utilized. Electronic searches were performed using PubMed, African journal online, and Research gate from inception to June 2023. The primary endpoints were overall mortality and 30-day mortality, and secondary endpoints included postoperative complications, length of hospital, and intensive care stays. The outcome data were pooled together and analyzed with the random effect model for proportions and mean for meta-analysis using the R software.

RESULTS

This systematic review identified 31 studies that fulfilled the study eligibility criteria and all were observational studies. The countries in which these studies were carried out include South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mali, Rwanda, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, and Kenya. Statistical analysis reported a pooled overall mortality of 10.48% and a pooled 30-day mortality of 4.59%.

CONCLUSION

Several obstacles, such as lack of financial resources and inadequate infrastructure, continue to impede valvular heart surgery practice in many parts of Africa. Future studies need to focus on identifying factors associated with this poor early mortality.

Outcomes of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been in practice for many decades, and it is one of the most commonly performed cardiac surgeries worldwide. While there are several studies reporting data on perioperative outcomes following CABG in developed countries, there is a staggering paucity of data and evidence reporting the outcomes in developing areas such as Africa. Thus, it is important to study the practice and outcome of CABG in Africa to establish its clinical efficacy and safety in this region and identify factors that might be limiting its practice. The overall aim of this study is to identify all relevant clinical data on CABG in Africa and report on the perioperative outcomes and practice of CABG in the African population. Electronic search was performed using three online databases, PubMed, African Journal Online, and Research Gate, from inception to June 2023. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guideline was utilised for this study. Relevant studies fulfilling predefined eligibility criteria were included in the study. Intraoperative details, such as the number of grafts performed, operative, bypass, and cross-clamp time, were reported. The primary endpoint assessed were early mortality and overall mortality. The secondary endpoints included length of hospital stay, intensive care unit stay, and postoperative complications, such as renal impairment, atrial fibrillation, and surgical site infection. The data were pooled together and meta-analyzed using a random effect model for proportions and mean for meta-analysis with R software (version 4.3.1 (2023-06-16); R Development Core Team, Vienna, Austria). This systematic review identified 42 studies that fulfilled the study eligibility criteria, including 21 randomised controlled trials, 20 observational studies, and one cross-sectional study. Only four out of the 54 countries in Africa had studies carried out that met the criteria for this review; they included Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa, with a majority from Egypt. Meta-analysis reported a pooled early mortality and pooled overall mortality of 3.51% and 3.73%, respectively, for the total cohort of patients. The result of this meta-analysis suggests that mortality outcomes following CABG in Africa are relatively higher than those in developed nations. Several issues, such as lack of financial resources and poor infrastructure, continue to hinder the optimal practice of CABG procedures in many parts of Africa. Further studies focused on finding factors associated with outcomes following CABG should be done. Though there were a few limitations to the study largely from a lack of data from several regions and countries in Africa, the result from this meta-analysis can serve as a benchmark for future studies until more relevant data are reported.

Health-related quality of life and healthcare consultations among adult patients before and after diagnosis with rheumatic heart disease in Namibia

BACKGROUND

Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) causes high morbidity and mortality rates among children and young adults, impacting negatively on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL and healthcare consultations of adult patients with RHD in Namibia.

METHODS

From June 2019 to March 2020, a questionnaire was administered to 83 RHD patients during routine follow-ups. The EQ-5D-5L instrument was used to assess the health-related quality of life before diagnosis and at the time of the survey. The Ethiopian value set for EQ-5D-5L was used to calculate Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALY).

RESULTS

Most respondents were women (77%), young adults below the age of 30 years (42%), and individuals who grew up in rural areas (87%). The mean QALY statistically significantly improved from 0.773 pre-diagnosis to 0.942 in the last 12 months (p < 0.001). Sixty-six patients who had surgery reported a better QALY. Healthcare visits statistically significantly increased from on average 1.6 pre-diagnosis to 2.7 days in the last 12 months (p < 0.001). The mean distance to the nearest facility was 55 km, mean cost of transport was N$65, and mean time spent at the clinic was 3.6 h. The median time from diagnosis to the survey was 7 years (quartiles 4 and 14 years).

CONCLUSION

Treatment and surgery can improve HRQoL substantially among RHD patients. Being diagnosed with RHD affects patients living in socioeconomically disadvantaged rural areas through cost and time for healthcare visits. It would be valuable with further research to understand differences between disease severities.

Debate: Should the loss of disability adjusted life years (DALY) define the focus of Global Hematology?: The case for prioritizing capacity building in anemia management and blood transfusion

Setting priorities in healthcare is always contentious given the array of possible services at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of care, not to mention potential public health interventions. The central goals in global policy have been reducing inequity within and between countries, protecting vulnerable groups (particularly women and children) and reducing the major communicable diseases which have historically been a major burden in lower- and middle-income countries. Here limited relative and absolute spending on healthcare have spurred a series of initiatives in Global Health over the last 50 years which have led to significant gains in measures of morbidity and mortality. Against this background there remains the continuing question of how to adapt current medical practice in higher income countries for training and planning of services in lower- and middle-income countries. Here, the historical development of Global Health is outlined, and lessons drawn from the surveys of the global burden of disease and health economic analysis to understand how we can apply these principles to define Global Hematology. It remains likely that in lower-income countries effort should be concentrated on developing laboratory services and blood transfusion, to allow safe and effective support for the assessment of treatment of anemia, sickle cell disease, maternal and child health and urgent surgery and obstetric services. However, the principles of Global Health, could also be used for hematological malignancies to develop a framework for Global Hematology for all settings.

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

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.

The state of cardiac surgery in Ethiopia

Objectives

Six billion people globally do not have access to cardiac surgical care. In this study, we aimed to describe state of cardiac surgery in Ethiopia.

Methods

Data on status of local cardiac surgery collected from surgeons and cardiac centers. Medical travel agents were interviewed about number of cardiac patients who were assisted to travel abroad for surgery. Historical data and number of patients treated by non-governmental organizations were collected via interviews and by accessing existing databases.

Results

Patients access cardiac care via 3 avenues: mission-based, abroad referral, and care at local centers. Traditionally, the first 2 have been the main mode of access; however, since 2017, an entirely local team has begun performing heart surgery in the country. Currently, surgical cardiac care is provided at 4 local centers: a charity organization, a tertiary public hospital, and 2 for-profit centers. Procedures at the charity center are provided for free, whereas in others, patients mostly pay out of pocket. There are only 5 cardiac surgeons for 120 million people. More than 15,000 patients are on waitlist for surgery, mainly because of lack of consumables and limited numbers of centers and workforce.

Conclusions

There is a change in the trend from non-governmental mission- and referral-based care toward care in local centers in Ethiopia. The local cardiac surgery workforce is growing but still insufficient. The number of procedures is limited with long wait lists due to limited workforce, infrastructure, and resources. All stakeholders should work on training more workforce, providing consumables, and creating feasible financing schemes.

Rheumatic heart disease prevalence in Namibia: a retrospective review of surveillance registers

Background

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most commonly acquired heart disease in children and young people in low and middle-income settings. Fragile health systems and scarcity of data persist to limit the understanding of the relative burden of this disease. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of RHD and to assess the RHD-related health care systems in Namibia.

Methods

Data was retrieved from outpatient and inpatient registers for all patients diagnosed and treated for RHD between January 2010 to December 2020. We used descriptive statistics to estimate the prevalence of RHD. Key observations and engagement with local cardiac clinicians and patients helped to identify key areas of improvement in the systems.

Results

The outpatient register covered 0.032% of the adult Namibian population and combined with the cumulative incidence from the inpatient register we predict the prevalence of clinically diagnosed RHD to be between 0.05% and 0.10% in Namibia. Young people (< 18 years old) are most affected (72%), and most cases are from the north-eastern regions. Mitral heart valve impairment (58%) was the most common among patients. We identified weaknesses in care systems i.e., lack of patient unique identifiers, missing data, and clinic-based prevention activities.

Conclusion

The prevalence of RHD is expected to be lower than previously reported. It will be valuable to investigate latent RHD and patient follow-ups for better estimates of the true burden of disease. Surveillance systems needs improvements to enhance data quality. Plans for expansions of the clinic-based interventions must adopt the “Awareness Surveillance Advocacy Prevention” framework supported by relevant resolutions by the WHO.

Improving Access to Pediatric Cardiac Care in the Developing World: the South African Perspective

Purpose of Review

The paper outlines the current status of health care and pediatric cardiac services in South Africa and the challenges faced in providing pediatric cardiac care in the country.

Recent Findings

As infant and child mortality rates in South Africa and most of Sub-Saharan Africa continue to decline, establishing and improving the infrastructure to manage congenital heart disease increases in importance.

Summary

South Africa has well-established pediatric cardiac units in most major centers in the country. These have been able to train sufficient numbers of pediatric cardiologists to double the number in the country in just over a decade as well as train fellows from surrounding countries. A significant proportion of funding for this training comes from non-government sources. The number of pediatric cardiologists is however still far less than required with services spread unevenly throughout the country. Pediatric cardiac surgical services remain severely constrained with an urgent need to train more pediatric cardiac surgeons. Further progress depends not only on focussing resources on cardiac disease but also improvements in the health care systems and socioeconomic conditions in general.

Managing Rheumatic Heart Disease in Pregnancy: A Practical Evidence-Based Multidisciplinary Approach

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in pregnant patients in low- to middle-income countries. Apart from the clinical challenges, these areas face poor infrastructure and resources to allow for early detection, with many women presenting to medical services for the first time when they deteriorate clinically during the pregnancy. The opportunity for preconception counselling and planning may thus be lost. It is ideal for all women to be seen before conception and risk-stratified according to their clinical state and pathology. The role of the cardio-obstetrics team has emerged over the past decade with the aim of a seamless transition to and from the appropriate levels of care during pregnancy. Severe symptomatic mitral and aortic valve stenoses portend the greatest risk to both mother and fetus. In mitral stenosis, beta-blockers are the cornerstone of therapy and only a small number of patients require balloon valvuloplasty. Regurgitant lesions mostly require diuretics alone for the treatment of heart failure. The mode of delivery is usually vaginal; caesarean section is performed in those with obstetrical indications or in cases with severe stenosis and a poor clinical state. The postpartum period presents a second high-risk period for maternal adverse events, with heart failure and arrhythmias being the most frequent. This review aims to provide a practical evidence-based multi-disciplinary approach to the management of women with RHD in pregnancy.

Global leadership in paediatric and congenital cardiac care: "global health advocacy, lift as you rise - an interview with Liesl J. Zühlke, MBChB, MPH, PhD"

Professor Liesl Zühlke is the focus of our fifth in a series of interviews in Cardiology in the Young entitled, "Global Leadership in Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Care". Professor Zühlke (nee Hendricks) was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She would attend medical school in her hometown at University of Cape Town, graduating in 1991. Professor Zühlke then went on to complete a Diploma in Child Health at College of Medicine in Cape Town followed by completion of her Paediatric and Paediatric Cardiology training in 1999 and 2007, respectively. She would subsequently complete her Masters of Public Health (Clinical Research Methods) at the University of Cape Town, completing her dissertation in 2011 on computer-assisted auscultation as a screening tool for cardiovascular disease, under the supervision of Professors Landon Myer and Bongani Mayosi.Professor Zühlke began her clinical position as a paediatric cardiologist in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa in 2007. In this role, she has been instrumental in developing a transitional clinic at the paediatric hospital, is a team member of the combined cardio-obstetric and grown-up congenital heart disease clinics, each of which are rare in South Africa, with very few similar clinics in Africa. Professor Zühlke would continue her research training, completing her Doctorate at the University of Cape Town in 2015, with her dissertation on the outcomes of asymptomatic and symptomatic rheumatic heart disease under the supervision of Professor Bongani Mayosi and Associate Professor Mark Engel. In 2015, in affiliation with the University of Cape Town and the Department of Paediatrics and the Institute of Child Health, she established The Children's Heart Disease Research Unit, with the goals to conduct, promote and support paediatric cardiac research on the African continent, facilitate Implementation Science and provide postgraduate supervision and training in paediatric cardiac research. In 2018, she would subsequently complete her Master of Science at the London School of Economics in Health Economics, Outcomes and Management of cardiovascular sciences. Professor Zühlke currently serves as the acting Deputy-Dean of Research at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town.Professor Zühlke has achieved the highest leadership positions within cardiology in South Africa, including President of the Paediatric Cardiac Society of South Africa and President of the South African Heart Association. She is internationally regarded as a leader in research related to rheumatic heart disease. Professor Zühlke's work includes patient, family and health advocacy on a global scale, being involved in the development of policies that have been adopted by major global organisations such as the World Health Organization. In addition to her clinical and research efforts, she is highly regarded by students, colleagues and graduates as an effective teacher, mentor and advisor. This article presents our interview with Professor Zühlke, an interview that covers her experience as a thought leader in the field of Paediatric Cardiology, specifically in her work related to rheumatic heart disease, Global Health and paediatric and congenital cardiac care in resource-limited settings.

Delivering pediatric cardiac care in sub-Saharan Africa: a model for the developing countries

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

It is projected that by 2050, around 40% of all births, and about 40% of all children, will be in Africa, up from about 10% in 1950. Consequently, this trend will cause an increase in noncommunicable diseases in children, such as congenital and rheumatic heart diseases. The current state of pediatric cardiac care in sub-Saharan Africa is dire with some countries without cardiac surgical services at all. The purpose of this review is to highlight those components needed to build a sustainable model for a pediatric cardiac care center in sub-Saharan Africa.

RECENT FINDINGS

Review of the literature reveals that capacity-building for pediatric cardiac care in sub-Saharan Africa can be a challenging entity. Several factors must come into play to lay the foundation for a successful cardiac program. Key among them are early diagnosis of heart disease, human resources, financing cardiac care, and political commitment.

SUMMARY

The burgeoning pediatric population in sub-Saharan African lends itself to an increase in the incidence of pediatric heart disease. The need for sustainable, patient-centered cardiac centers is pressing. Establishing such pediatric cardiac care models will require the essential components of early diagnosis, increasing human resources, financing cardiac care, and political commitment. VIDEO ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/HCO/A59.

Evaluation of a Ten-Year Team-Based Collaborative Capacity-Building Program for Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in Uzbekistan: Lessons and Implications

Background

Most children who have congenital heart disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Uzbekistan, do not receive adequate and timely pediatric cardiac surgical care. To strengthen the surgical capacity of a local pediatric cardiac surgery team in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the JW LEE Center for Global Medicine at Seoul National University College of Medicine has developed a team-based training program and has been collaboratively conducting surgeries and care in order to transfer on-site knowledge and skills from 2009 to 2019.

Objectives

To evaluate the long-term effects of the collaborative program on the cardiac surgical capacity of medical staff (teamwork, surgical complexity, and patients' pre-surgical weights) as well as changes in the lives of the patients and their families. To derive lessons and challenges for other pediatric cardiac surgical programs in LMICs.

Methods

To assess the effects of this ten-year long program, a mixed-methods design was developed to examine the trend of surgical complexity measured by Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery 1 score (RACHS-1) and patients' pre-surgical weights via medical record review (surgical cases: n = 107) during the decade. Qualitative data was analyzed from in-depth interviews (n = 31) with Uzbek and Korean medical staff (n = 10; n = 4) and caregivers (n = 17).

Findings

During the decade, the average RACHS-1 of the cases increased from 1.9 in 2010 to 2.78 in 2019. The average weight of patients decreased by 2.8 kg from 13 kg to 10.2 kg during the decade. Qualitative findings show that the surgical capacity, as well as attitudes toward patients and colleagues of the Uzbek medical staff, improved through the effective collaboration between the Uzbek and Korean teams. Changes in the lives of patients and their families were also found following successful surgery.

Conclusions

Team-based training of the workforce in Uzbekistan was effective in improving the surgical skills, teamwork, and attitudes of medical staff, in addition, a positive impact on the life of patients and their families was demonstrated. It can be an effective solution to facilitate improvements in pediatric cardiovascular disease in LMICs if training is sustained over a long period.

Rheumatic heart disease: current status of diagnosis and therapy

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the only preventable cardiovascular disease which causes significant morbidity and mortality particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Early clinical diagnosis is key, the updated Jones criteria increases the likelihood of diagnosis in endemic settings, including the echo diagnosis of sub-clinical carditis, polyarthralgia and monoarthritis as well as amended thresholds of minor criteria. The mainstay of rheumatic heart valve disease (RHVD) is a thorough clinical and echocardiographic investigation while severe disease is managed with medical, interventional and surgical treatment. In this report we detail some of the more recent epidemiological findings and focus on the diagnostic and interventional elements of the specific valve lesions. Finally, we discuss some of the recent efforts to improve medical and surgical management for this disease. As we are already more than a year from the historic 2018 World Heart Organization Resolution against Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease, we advocate strongly for renewed efforts to prioritize this disease across the endemic regions of the world.

Standardizing clinical care measures of rheumatic heart disease in pregnancy: A qualitative synthesis

BACKGROUND

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a preventable cardiac condition that escalates risk in pregnancy. Models of care informed by evidence-based clinical guidelines are essential to optimal health outcomes. There are no published reviews that systematically explore approaches to care provision for pregnant women with RHD and examine reported measures. The review objective was to improve understanding of how attributes of care for these women are reported and how they align with guidelines.

METHODS

A search of 13 databases was supported by hand-searching. Papers that met inclusion criteria were appraised using CASP/JBI checklists. A content analysis of extracted data from the findings sections of included papers was undertaken, informed by attributes of quality care identified previously from existing guidelines.

RESULTS

The 43 included studies were predominantly conducted in tertiary care centers of low-income and middle-income countries. Cardiac guidelines were referred to in 25 of 43 studies. Poorer outcomes were associated with higher risk scores (detailed in 36 of 41 quantitative studies). Indicators associated with increased risk include anticoagulation during pregnancy (28 of 41 reported) and late booking (gestation documented in 15 of 41 studies). Limited access to cardiac interventions was discussed (19 of 43) in the context of poorer outcomes. Conversely, early assessment and access to regular multidisciplinary care were emphasized in promoting optimal outcomes for women and their babies.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite often complex care requirements in challenging environments, pregnancy provides an opportunity to strengthen health system responses and address whole-of-life health for women with RHD. A standard set of core indicators is proposed to more accurately benchmark care pathways, outcomes, and burden.

Congenital Heart Disease in Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries: Current Status and New Opportunities

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The paper summarises the most recent data on congenital heart disease (CHD) in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs). In addition, we present an approach to diagnosis, management and interventions in these regions and present innovations, research priorities and opportunities to improve outcomes and develop new programs.

RECENT FINDINGS

The reported birth prevalence of CHD in LLMICs is increasing, with clear evidence of the impact of surgical intervention on the burden of disease. New methods of teaching and training are demonstrating improved outcomes. Local capacity building remains the key. There is a significant gap in epidemiological and outcomes data in CHD in LLMICs. Although the global agenda still does not address the needs of children with CHD adequately, regional initiatives are focusing on quality improvement and context-specific interventions. Future research should focus on epidemiology and the use of innovative thinking and partnerships to provide low-cost, high-impact solutions.