40 / 60
CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 32, No 1, January/February 2021
38
AFRICA
but lower than Kenya and Uganda.
9
In comparison to the
neighbouring country, Sudan, and the other African countries
under investigation, Ethiopia’s premature deaths attributable
to CVD (30–70 years old) is the lowest, at 6%.
10
In 2017, the
age-standardised total CVD death rate was 10.9%, which is
lower than the global rate of 31.8%.
9
The percentage of DALYs
resulting from CVD for men was 4.2% and for women 4.0%.
The total RHD mortality rate was 0.2% of all deaths, while the
prevalence of RHD was 1.0%.
9
In a study by Yadeta
et al
.,
11
a prevalence of 1.4% was found, while in rural Ethiopia, an
even higher RHD prevalence was reported (37.5/1 000 of the
population).
12
The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and
atrial flutter was 0.1% (Table 1).
9
Tobacco and alcohol
In 2016, the prevalence of tobacco use in adult men 15 years
and older was 8.1%, while fewer adult women (1.8%) smoked,
as reported in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS).
6
Data from the WHO survey, STEPS (step-wise survey for NCD
risk factors), revealed 7.3 and 0.4% of men and women, 15–69
years old, respectively, made use of this habit.
13
In Ethiopia, the
smoking prevalence for the youth (15 years median age) was
4.5% among boys and 1% in girls.
14
No data were available for
the estimated annual direct cost of tobacco use.
6
The premature
CVD mortality rate attributable to tobacco is 2% of the total
mortality rate, which is much lower than the global 10%.
15
The
three-year (2016–18) average recorded alcohol consumption per
capita (≥ 15 years) was 0.9 litres (Table 1).
6
Raised blood pressure and cholesterol
In 2015, the percentage of men and women, 18 years and older,
with raised blood pressure (BP) (systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or
diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg) was 28.8 and 31.7%, respectively.
6
STEPS data provided a much lower prevalence of 15.5% for men
and 16.3% for women, which possibly differed because of the
different age range and sample size.
13,16
The percentage of DALYs
lost because of hypertension was 2.2%, whereas the mortality
rate caused by HHD was 1.1% in 2017 (Table 1).
9
In 2015, the
total cholesterol (TC) prevalence measured 5.2% in adults, 15–69
years old, with more women than men (6.8 vs 3.9%, respectively)
having a raised TC (≥ 5.0 mmol/l).
16
Physical activity
No data were available for adolescents, 11–17 years old, who
were insufficiently active [< 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-
intensity physical activity (PA) daily]. For adults, however,
the age-standardised estimate was 14.9% of those who were
insufficiently active (< 150 minutes of moderate-intensity PA
per week, or < 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity PA per week) in
Table 1. Cardiovascular disease indicators for Ethiopia
Indicators
Male
Female
Total
Year
Status of the national CVD epidemic
Premature CVD mortality (30–70 years old) (% deaths)
–
–
6
2012
Total CVD mortality (% of deaths)
10.5
11.6
10.9 (31.8)*
2017
Total RHD mortality (% of deaths)
0.2
0.2
0.2 (.5)*
2017
DALYs attributable to CVD (%)
4.2
4.0
4.1 (14.7)*
2017
AF and atrial flutter (%)
0.1
0.1
0.1 (.5)*
2017
Prevalence of RHD (%)**
0.6
0.8
1.4 (.5)*
2016
Tobacco and alcohol
Prevalence of adult tobacco use (≥ 15 years old) (%)
#
8.1 (36.1)
##
1.8 (6.8)
##
5.0
2016
Prevalence of youth (13–15-year-olds) tobacco use (%)
4.5 (18.2)
##
1.0 (8.3)
##
2007
Estimated direct (healthcare-related) cost of tobacco use in the population (current US$)
–
2018
Proportion of premature CVD mortality attributable to tobacco (%)
–
–
2 (10)*
2004
Recorded alcohol consumption per capita (≥ 15 years) (in litres of pure alcohol) (three-year average)
0.9
2016–18
Raised blood pressure and cholesterol
Population with raised BP (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg or DBP
≥
90 mmHg) (%)
δ
15.5 (24.1)* 16.3 (20.1)* 15.8 (22.1)*
2015
Population with raised TC (≥ 5.0 mmol/l) (%)
δ
3.9
6.8
5.2 (38.9)
##
2015
DALYs attributable to hypertension (%)
2.1
2.3
2.2 (8.7)*
2017
Mortality caused by HHD (% of deaths)
0.7
1.7
1.1 (1.7)*
2017
Physical activity
Adolescents (11–17 years old) who are insufficiently active (< 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-
intensity PA daily) (%)
–
–
(80.7)
##
2010
Adults (age-standardised estimate) who are insufficiently active (< 150 minutes of moderate-intensity
PA per week, or < 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity PA per week) (%)
11.3
18.3
14.9 (27.5)
##
2016
Overweight and obesity
Adults who are overweight (BMI ≥ 25–< 30 kg/m
2
) (%)
13.4
28.0
20.9 (38.9)
##
2016
Prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m
2
) (%)
1.9
6.9
4.5 (13.1)
##
2016
Diabetes
Defined population with fasting glucose ≥ 126 mg/dl (7.0 mmol/l) or on medication for raised blood
glucose (age standardised) (%)
5.8 (9)*
5.0 (8)*
–
2014
Prevalence of diabetes (20–79 years old) (%)
–
–
4.3 (9.3)
δδ
2019
CVD, cardiovascular disease; RHD, rheumatic heart disease; DALYs, disability-adjusted life years; AF, atrial fibrillation; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic
blood pressure; TC, total cholesterol; HHD, hypertensive heart disease; PA, physical activity; BMI, body mass index.
*IHME Global data exchange;
9
**Yadeta
et al
.;
11
#
Global Adult Tobacco Survey;
##
WHO GHO data;
6
δ
Gebreyes
et al
.;
16
δδ
IDF Diabetes Atlas
.
18