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Cardiovascular Journal of Africa • Volume 31, No 4 August 2020
S19
AFRICA
Nigeria Country Report
PASCAR and WHF Cardiovascular Diseases Scorecard
project
Mahmoud U Sani, Okechukwu S Ogah, Jean M Fourie, Wihan Scholtz, Oana Scarlatescu,
George Nel, Kingsley Nzekwe, Nnenna Ezeigwe, Mangai T Malau
Department of Medicine, Bayero University; Aminu Kano
Teaching Hospital Kano, Nigeria; the Nigerian Cardiac Society
Mahmoud U Sani
Department of Medicine, University of Ibadan; University
College Hospital, Ibadan; Institute of Advanced Medical
Research and Training, College of Medicine, University of
Ibadan, Nigeria; the Nigerian Cardiac Society
Okechukwu S Ogah
Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR), Cape Town, South
Africa
Jean M Fourie
Wihan Scholtz,
wihan@medsoc.co.zaGeorge Nel
World Heart Federation (WHF), Geneva, Switzerland
Oana Scarlatescu
Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA; present
address: Northeastern University, San Francisco, California, USA
Kingsley Nzekwe
Non-Communicable Disease Unit, Federal Ministry of Health,
Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III, Shehu Shagari Way,
Central Business District, Abuja, Nigeria
Nnenna Ezeigwe
Mangai T Malau
Abstract
Data collected for theWorldHeart Federation’s Scorecard
project regarding the current state of cardiovascular
disease prevention, control and management, along
with related non-communicable diseases in Nigeria
are presented. Furthermore, the strengths, threats,
weaknesses and priorities identified from these data are
highlighted in concurrence with related sections in the
attached infographic. Information was collected using
open-source datasets available online and other relevant
government publications.
On behalf of the World Heart Federation (WHF), the Pan-
African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) co-ordinated data
collection and reporting for the country-level Cardiovascular
Diseases Scorecard to be used in Africa.
1,2
The Nigerian
Cardiac Society, along with the PASCAR assistant secretary
general – western region, assisted the team in collating
and verifying data for Nigeria as one of the participating
countries. The Non-Communicable Disease Control Division
of the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja, Nigeria also
contributed. Dedicated assistance during the data-collection
phase was provided by a Nigerian student at Gettysburg
College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA.
Based on the data collected, we summarise the strengths,
threats, weaknesses and priorities identified, which need to
be considered in conjunction with the associated sections
provided in the infographic published with this report.
Datasets used included open-source data from the World
Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO), Institute for
Health Metrics and Evaluation, the International Diabetes
Federation, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja,
Nigeria, and other government publications.
Part A: Demographics
According to the World Bank (2018), Nigeria is a lower-
middle-income country with 50% of its people living in rural
areas.
3
In 2009, 53.5% of the population was living below
the US$1.9-a-day ratio, with most recent data indicating little
change projected at 50%.
4
Life expectancy at birth in 2018,
was 53 and 55 years for men and women, respectively. The
general government health expenditure was 0.53% of the
gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017, while the country
GDP per capita was US$2028.2 in 2018.
5
Part B: National cardiovascular disease epidemic
The national burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD)
and non-communicable diseases (NCD) risk factors
The overall probability of dying between the ages of 30 and
70 years from the major NCD in Nigeria was 22% in 2016.
6
However, the risk of premature deaths attributable to CVD
(age 30–70 years) in 2012 was similar to its neighbouring
country, Cameroon at 12%.
7
In 2017, the age-standardised
total CVD death rate was 7.73%, which is the lowest of all
African countries included in this project.
8
The percentage
of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) resulting from
CVD for men was about 2.5%, and 2.8% for women. The
prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter was
0.13%, while that of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) was
0.75%. The total RHD mortality rate was 0.11% of all deaths
(Table 1).
8
DOI: 10.5830/CVJA-2020-034