Heart failure remains a health challenge in Africa, associated with significant rates of hospitalization, morbidity and mortality. The current review aims to summarize the most recent data on the epidemiology, aetiology, risk factors and management of heart failure, comparing countries in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. There is a paucity of data on heart failure epidemiology, aetiology and management, and on the sociodemographic characteristics of African patients with heart failure. Heart failure prevalence has been evaluated among all medical admissions or admissions to cardiac units or emergency departments in a few hospital-based studies conducted in countries in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Common causes of heart failure in Africa include ischaemic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy and valvular heart disease. The aetiology of heart failure differs between countries in North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Diagnosing heart failure proves challenging in Africa because of a lack of basic tools and the necessary human resources. The principal drugs used frequently for heart failure therapy are lacking in sub-Saharan Africa. The clinical profile of heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa differs from that in North African countries; this is related to aetiological factors, socioeconomic status and availability of diagnostic tools. There is an evident need to establish a large multicentre registry to evaluate the heart failure burden in almost all African countries, and to highlight the major cardiovascular risk factors and co-morbidities. The present review highlights the importance of this syndrome in Africa, and calls for improvements in its early diagnosis, treatment and, possibly, prevention.

心力衰竭仍然是非洲的一项健康挑战，与很高的住院率、发病率和死亡率有关。本综述旨在总结关于心力衰竭的流行病学、病因、危险因素和管理的最新数据，比较北非和撒哈拉以南非洲国家。缺乏关于心力衰竭流行病学、病因和治疗以及非洲心力衰竭患者社会人口学特征的数据。在北非和撒哈拉以南非洲国家进行的几项基于医院的研究中，对所有入院或入院心脏科室或急诊科的心力衰竭患病率进行了评估。非洲心力衰竭的常见原因包括缺血性心脏病、高血压性心脏病、扩张型心肌病和心脏瓣膜病。心力衰竭的病因在北非和撒哈拉以南非洲国家之间有所不同。由于缺乏基本工具和必要的人力资源，诊断心力衰竭在非洲具有挑战性。撒哈拉以南非洲缺乏经常用于治疗心力衰竭的主要药物。撒哈拉以南非洲心力衰竭的临床特征与北非国家不同；这与病因因素、社会经济地位和诊断工具的可用性有关。显然需要建立一个大型的多中心登记处，以评估几乎所有非洲国家的心力衰竭负担，并突出主要的心血管危险因素和合并症。本综述强调了这种综合征在非洲的重要性，