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Cardiac Surgery: Increasing Access in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

  • Global Cardiovascular Health (GY Bukhman, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Cardiology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of the Review

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have long-battled communicable diseases, and now, a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCD) is conferring tremendous burden in these areas. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the number one cause of death among NCDs across the globe. The current review provides insight regarding this disease burden and highlights challenges as well as strategies for establishing functional cardiac surgery centers and sustainable access to comprehensive cardiovascular care within LMICs.

Recent Findings

Without effective prevention and treatment strategies, estimates suggest that deaths from CVDs will reach 24 million by the year 2030. Surgery exists as a limited option for selected patients with advanced cardiac disease in LMICs in comparison with its availability in developed countries.

Summary

Multi-lateral or public-private initiatives, government investment, philanthropic efforts, innovative financing systems to strengthen Universal Health Coverage, and expansion of training options through centers of excellence appear to be the way forward to broadening the availability of cardiovascular services, inclusive of surgery, to LMICs.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing, The Johns Hopkins University, 525 North Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD, USA

    Samuel Byiringiro

  2. Partners in Health, Koidu, Sierra Leone

    Naphtal Nyirimanzi

  3. King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda

    Joseph Mucumbitsi

  4. College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda

    Emmanuel Rusingiza Kamanzi

  5. Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    JaBaris Swain

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  1. Samuel Byiringiro
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  4. Emmanuel Rusingiza Kamanzi
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  5. JaBaris Swain
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Correspondence to Samuel Byiringiro.

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Samuel Byiringiro, Naphtal Nyirimanzi, Joseph Mucumbitsi, Emmanuel Rusingiza Kamanzi, and JaBaris Swain declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Byiringiro, S., Nyirimanzi, N., Mucumbitsi, J. et al. Cardiac Surgery: Increasing Access in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Curr Cardiol Rep 22, 37 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-020-01290-5

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