GREATER efforts to prevent and manage heart-related diseases are needed as the country is grappling with a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the government has declared.

Zanzibar’s Second Vice President Hemed Suleiman Abdulla issued this appeal at the opening of the third ‘Heart Team Africa’ cardiology conference 2025 being held here, focusing on strengthening cardiovascular care in Africa through collaborative efforts

The high-level event brought together heart specialists and health experts from Africa, Asia and Europe to discuss collaborative approaches to tackling cardiovascular diseases, a leading cause of death globally.

He said that Tanzania has approximately 4.9m people suffering from heart-related illnesses, contributing to about 13 percent of deaths, which underscores the importance of raising public awareness about non-communicable diseases and especially heart conditions.

This is a critical step toward reducing fatalities, he said, stressing that the union and Zanzibar governments are implementing various strategies to manage and reduce the burden of NCDs.

This effort includes community education campaigns meant to reduce the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy diets, he said, while Dr Peter Kisenge, the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) director general said the global burden of cardiovascular disease was escalating.

Upwards of 20m deaths annually arise from the ailments, with congenital heart defects among children as a particularly pressing issue due to the high cost of treatment, he said.

JKCI has made significant strides in heart care, with 8,786 patients treated and 2,786 intensive cardiac surgeries performed in the past four years, where in 2023 alone, 365 children received life-saving heart surgery, with more than 500 children still requiring urgent intervention, he stated.

Dr Mzee Miraji Mwingereza, the Health principal secretary for Zanzibar, said efforts are underway to enhance cardiac services as part of the country’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (2020–2030). Heart and cardiovascular diseases now account for 13 to 18 percent of hospital deaths in Zanzibar, he specified.

“Hypertension-related conditions such as strokes and heart failure are the leading causes of hospitalization and death,” he said, asserting that the trend of arterial blockages makes relatives of more patients seek treatment abroad.

During fiscal 2023/2024, 511 patients were referred outside Zanzibar for advanced care, the majority of whom were heart patients, he said, noting that since 1999a total of 1,125 heart surgeries have been conducted on Zanzibari patients, where 800 were done in Israel, 275 in India, and 50 at JKCI in Dar es Salaam.

Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar records three to five child deaths from heart disease each month, with 110 to 150 new pediatric heart cases diagnosed annually, he said, pointing out that Zanzibar spends around 1.5bn/- each year to treat heart disease patients locally.

The Isles have a shortage of specialist personnel and inadequate medical infrastructure for managing heart diseases, with three cardiologists and one cardiac surgeon. The Health ministry is sponsoring four more doctors for advanced training, he said.

Dr Godwin Mollel, the Health deputy minister commended JKCI’s work and the significant financial investments transforming local cardiac care and so far saved countless lives.