Cardiovascular Journal of Africa: Vol 28 No 4 (July/August 2017)

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CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 28, No 4, July/August 2017 274 AFRICA
Conference News
Illuminating the pathway for the next generation of
cardiovascular medicine practitioners and researchers:
Highlights of the Joint PASCAR–SCC clinical symposium
on hypertension and heart failure, Cameroon
Martin H Abanda, Anastase Dzudie, Ba Hamadou, Yves Monkam, Henry Luma, Marie Solange Douala,
Loryane Nganhyim, Bonaventure S Dzekem, Theophile N Nana, George Nel, Ana O Mocumbi, Simon
Stewart, Karen Sliwa, Eugene Belley Priso
Abstract
The Pan-African Society of Cardiology roadmap aims to
achieve a 25% control of hypertension by the year 2025.
Whether this is attainable or not depends largely on the
capacity of healthcare providers and policy makers to address
the rising prevalence of hypertension and its complications,
including heart failure. Task sharing is fundamental in opti-
mising hypertension control.
The Clinical Research Education, Networking and
Consultancy (CRENC) engaged with the Pan-African Soci-
ety of Cardiology (PASCAR) and the Cameroon Cardiac
Society (SCC) in a joint hypertension and heart failure
symposium at the Douala General Hospital in 2016. The
primary aims were to foster clinical research in cardiovascu-
lar medicine by raising awareness on cardiovascular diseases,
to provide evidence-based training of an international stan-
dard, to encourage the conduction and dissemination of
high-quality research, and to build programmes for continu-
ing medical education. The secondary aim was to potentiate
the 2nd Douala Research and Scientific Days.
The symposium, which featured didactic lectures inter-
spaced with oral/poster abstract presentations and a clini-
cal visit, culminated in the launching of the book Heart of
Africa , and the Young Investigator award. It is hoped that
these served to capacitate existing cardiovascular structures,
breed the next generation of cardiovascular physicians and
researchers, and imprint a trail of clinical research excellence
to be emulated in Cameroon and beyond.
Sub-Saharan Africa bears about 80% of the global burden of
cardiovascular disease (CVD).1,2 As the leading continental
cardiovascular society, the Pan-African Society of Cardiology
(PASCAR) has identified hypertension as the key area of
priority action to reduce the burden of CVD in Africa. Shifting
paradigms through task sharing has been highlighted among
the 10 pillars to beat hypertension in Africa.3 Aligned with these
strategies, the Clinical Research Education, Networking and
Consultancy (CRENC) engaged with PASCAR at the Joint
Clinical Research Education, Networking and Consultancy
(CRENC), Douala, Cameroon
Martin H Abanda, MD
Anastase Dzudie, MD, PhD, FESC,
Loryane Nganhyim, MD
Bonaventure S Dzekem, MD
Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University
of Yaoundé 1, Cameroon
Anastase Dzudie, MD, PhD, FESC,
Ba Hamadou, MD
Henry Luma, MD
Marie Solange Douala, MD
Eugene Belley Priso, MD
Douala General Hospital, Douala, Cameroon
Anastase Dzudie, MD, PhD, FESC
Yves Monkam, MD
Henry Luma, MD
Marie Solange Douala, MD
Theophile N Nana, MD
Eugene Belley Priso, MD
Pan-African Society of Cardiology
Anastase Dzudie, MD, PhD, FESC
George Nel
Ana O Mocumbi, MD
Karen Sliwa, MD
Cameroon Cardiac Society
Anastase Dzudie, MD, PhD, FESC
Ba Hamadou, MD
Yves Monkam, MD
Instituto Nacional de Saúde, and Eduardo Mondlane
University, Maputo, Mozambique
Ana O Mocumbi, MD
Mary Mackillop Institute of Health Research, Australian
Catholic University, Australia
Simon Stewart, MD
Hatter Institute of Cardiovascular Research, University of
Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Karen Sliwa, MD