Speech of the Chairman of the Organizing Committee
of the Sixth African Heart Seminar
by Dr. Ferdinand B. Masau

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs. Blandina Nyoni,

Directors of the 5th African Heart Seminar, Prof Charles Yankah and Dr. Willie Koen,

My fellow colleagues in the Organizing Committee of the 6th AHS, Dr. Ussiri, Dr. Nyawawa, Dr. Nyangasa and Dr. Wandwi,

Distinguished Guests,

Doctors, Nurses and Students,

Workers of THI, Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all let me thank the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs. Blandina Nyoni for accepting our invitation to come and officiate this year seminar, the 6th African Heart Seminar. We real appreciate thank you and welcome.

Also, I would like to thank and welcome all participants, my fellow Tanzanians and especially those who have traveled all the way from outside Tanzania like Kenya, India, USA, etc.

This is the second time; the Tanzania Heart Institute is hosting this African Heart Seminar. The 5th African Heart Seminar was held here last year in July, 2008 and drew about 150 participants from different countries. The first two seminars were hosted in Cape Town at the Christian Barnard Memorial Hospital in 2004/5 and the subsequent two seminars were hosted by the Komfo Anoky Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and at the Central Regional Hospital  and the University of Cape Coast in Ghana.

This seminar started on the initiative of Professor Charles Yankah of Berlin University and Berlin Heart Institute and Dr. Willie Koen from Cape Town following successful start-up of an artificial heart program during 2000 and 2001 at the Christian Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

The aim is especially to offer opportunities to those doctors who are unlikely to travel to Europe, America or Asia where such conferences usually take place. The mission is to create awareness about the epidemic of cardiac diseases in Africa and to introduce the latest developments and medical advances in the field of cardiovascular medicine to doctors in all parts in Africa. A further key aim is to initiate networking amongst doctors in Africa and thereby share a wealth of medical experience which has never been utilized to its potential.

It appears that cardiovascular disease will soon succeed HIV infection as a major killer in African society. Without concerted efforts and action to improve cardiovascular disease prevention and to develop a sustainable medical-surgical programs in regional hospitals cardiovascular disease will undermine the socioeconomic development in African society.

According to World Health Organization Report 2009, Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally, more people die annually from cardiovascular diseases than from any other cause. An estimated 17.5 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2005, representing 30% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, an estimated 7.6 million were due to coronary artery disease and 5.7 million were due to stroke.
Although tropical diseases are the major causes of mortality in developing countries, heart diseases are still one of the leading common causes of death of Africans between the ages of 5 and 30 years.

The problem of heart disease in low and middle income countries has not gotten more attention in part because it has “few of the features that attract international sympathy or support”.

So, as stated earlier, African Heart Seminar was therefore initiated with the objective of creating more awareness about epidemic of cardiac diseases in Africa. Also it aims to initiate networking amongst doctors in Africa and other parts of the world and thereby share a wealth of medical experience which has never been utilized to its potential.

Honorable Guest of Honor,
Before I conclude, on behalf of the Course Directors, Members of the Organizing Committee and Staff of the Tanzania Heart Institute, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all individuals, organizations and companies who have contributed their resources in order to make this Seminar a Success. Special thanks go to the Cipla Pharmaceuticals, Sun Pharmaceuticals, and all those companies which are participating in the exhibition.

God bless Tanzania, God bless Tanzania Heart Institute.

Thank you for your attention.