CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Vol 24, No 5, June 2013
AFRICA
153
cardiomyopathy is raising the promise of new interventions,
such as the proposed role of bromocriptine in the treatment of
this disease.
7
Prof Jean Claude Daubert (France) gave a historical
perspective of cardiac resynchronisation therapy for heart failure,
with reference to its feasibility in Africa.
Oral communications, posters and symposia
The Dakar meeting topped the number of abstracts ever
submitted to a PASCAR meeting, with 48 oral communications
and 147 posters presented. Three symposia were organised by
pharmaceutical companies.
Multicentric and collaborative research projects
Preliminary results of multicentric collaborative research projects
being conducted on the continent were presented. Drs Friedrich
Thienneman and Anastase Dzudie presented the Pan-African
PUlmonary hypertension COhort study (PAPUCO) platform,
which was launched at the PASCAR meeting in May 2011 in
Kampala, Uganda. The study has recruited 132 patients with
pulmonary hypertension. It is aimed to complete the recruitment
of 200 patients with pulmonary hypertension by the end of
August 2013, and six months of follow up will be completed by
February 2014.
Dr Liesl Zuhlke (South Africa) presented preliminary results
of the Global Rheumatic Heart Disease Registry (REMEDY),
8
followed by Prof Samuel Kingue (Cameroon) for the Valvafric
study, a registry on rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Both
registries concluded that RHD is still a major disease on the
continent and associated with poor outcomes, especially in the
absence of cardiac surgery.
Other sessions
The cardiac surgery and cardiac pacing sessions emphasised
the need for training more specialised cardiologists and cardiac
surgeons but also on the means to increase patient access to
cardiac surgery and pacemakers. Sessions on vascular medicine
as well as cardiac imaging were equally well attended and
highlighted the low availability and affordability of other cardiac
imaging, such as nuclear imaging, CT angiography and magnetic
resonance imaging in African settings. Dr Ntobeko Ntusi from
South Africa stated that while echocardiography will remain first
line, other modalities do provide additional information, which
affects management and henceforth will be made available in
centres of excellence in Africa.
General assembly meeting
The meeting was held on 17 May and started at 17:40 with the
vice president (West), Prof Abdou Ba presiding. The secretary-
general, Prof Omokhodion circulated the working document
for the constitutional review, the suggested amendments were
discussed by the assembly, and the views of the congress were
adopted.
Ten distinguished members were honored for the PASCAR
Award, given their significant contributions in the foundation
and/or growing of PASCAR. They were Prof Ayodele O Falase
(Nigeria), Prof Olufemi Jaiyesimi (Nigeria), Prof Papa Koate
(Senegal), Prof WFT Muna (Cameroon), Prof H Ojiambo
(Kenya), Prof OM Pobee (Ghana), Prof JK Manuwelle
(Zimbabwe), Prof HS Badawi (Egypt), Prof Hippolyte Agboton
(Benin) and Prof Peter Omollo Odhiambo (Kenya).
A new executive was elected under the leadership of Prof
Bongani M Mayosi, who then outlined four priorities for
the society over the next four years: (1) to establish a strong
administrative and financial base, (2) to satisfy individual needs
of members, especially in the area of training, (3) to boost
research on the continent so that Africa can gain respect in the
world in the area of cardiovascular disease, and (4) to reach out
to North African societies. He also stressed the need to ensure
that ministries of health adopt and implement the ‘10 Best Buys’
to combat heart disease, diabetes and stroke in Africa.
9
The
success or failure of PASCAR will be judged on the extent to
which these goals are achieved over the next four years.
Conclusion
This Dakar conference has once more confirmed the role of
PASCAR as the premier umbrella association for national
professional societies in cardiovascular medicine and surgery
on the African continent. The election of a new and ambitious
leadership demonstrated that PASCAR has turned the page
of stagnation. It is now full of vitality and is poised to lead
the continent, and be a leading force in area management of
cardiovascular disease in the world during the third millennium.
ANASTASE DZUDIE
Department of Internal Medicine, Douala General Hospital,
Cameroon
BONGANI M MAYOSI,
Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital and
University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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