Expansion of AstraZeneca’s flagship health equity programme Healthy Heart Africa

The programme aims to improve health outcomes, with a focus on increasing awareness of the symptoms and risks of hypertension

By Daily News Reporter

AstraZeneca's Healthy Heart Africa initiative, initially launched in 2014 to combat cardiovascular diseases in Africa, is expanding its scope to target a broader range of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including chronic kidney disease (CKD), along with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This expansion also involves the launch of the program in Egypt, in addition to its existing operations in several African countries.

The program's objectives remain focused on improving health outcomes by raising awareness about the symptoms and risks of hypertension, providing health education, facilitating early screening and treatment, and offering training to healthcare providers. By doing so, the initiative aims to relieve the social and economic burden associated with late-stage treatment of cardiovascular and related diseases, thereby enhancing health system resilience.

Over the years, Healthy Heart Africa has made significant progress, having conducted over 54 million blood pressure screenings and trained more than 11,400 healthcare workers. By March 2024, it surpassed its initial target of reaching 10 million people with elevated blood pressure, nearly two years ahead of schedule.

The urgent need to address NCDs in Africa is underscored by statistics indicating a rising burden of such diseases, which accounted for 37% of all deaths in 2019, compared to 24% in 2000. Consequently, there is a call for comprehensive and coordinated action, including integrating NCD prevention and control into primary healthcare and enhancing multisectoral coordination.

AstraZeneca, in collaboration with public and private sectors, aims to tackle the escalating burden of NCDs and improve health outcomes across Africa. By focusing on early diagnosis, intervention, and treatment of cardiorenal diseases, the initiative seeks to prevent life-threatening complications and reduce the economic and environmental impact of these diseases.

The commitment to addressing NCDs was reaffirmed at the 77th World Health Assembly, with global leaders in NCD care, along with representatives from various organizations and patient advocacy groups, emphasizing the importance of early detection, evidence-based treatments, and effective public-private partnerships like Healthy Heart Africa.

Through partnerships with Ministries of Health in Egypt, Uganda, and Ghana, AstraZeneca aims to advance the program's goals and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.4, which targets a one-third reduction in premature mortality from NCDs through prevention and treatment by 2030.