CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 33, No 2, March/April 2022 88 AFRICA Cardiovascular Topics The joint 15th Pan-African Society of Cardiology and Kenya Cardiac Society congress proceedings, 2021 Lilian Mbau, Caroline Mutai, Redempta Kimeu, Barbara Karau, Peter Mugo, Hazel Mburu, Bernard Samia, Bernard Gitura, Njambi Mathenge, Karen Sliwa, Ahmed Suliman, Liesl Zühlke, Mpiko Ntsekhe, Anders Barasa, Anastase Dzudie, Dike Ojji, Ali Toure Ibrahim, George Nel, Ntobeko Ntusi, Friedrich Thienemann, Mahmoud Sani, Awad Mohamed, Elijah Ogola, Mohamed Jeilan Abstract The 15th biennial Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) congress held in Mombasa, Kenya, in November 2021, convened in its legacy of being the largest Pan-African conference on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The congress brough together members of cardiovascular societies from across the continent in the shared mission of advancing cardiovascular health in Africa. In partnership with the Kenyan Cardiac Society (KCS), the specific aims of the PASCAR conference were to (1) advance knowledge on CVDs in the region; (2) share local data, clinical cases, challenges and solutions and reinforce collaborative capacity initiatives in research and workforce training; (3) engage with policy makers to address health-system issues affecting access to CVD care in Africa; and (4) bring together local and international thought leaders in cardiovascular medicine to strengthen the partnerships between PASCAR, KCS, other African cardiac societies and key global stakeholders. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this congress demonstrated great success in providing both an in-person and a virtual platform of attendance, therefore making this an inaugural hybrid PASCAR congress, with inclusive and widespread participation from across the globe. We highlight the key areas of focus, various educational programmes and innovative initiatives that shaped the 15th PASCAR congress, including expert consensus on the future directions for advancing CVD care in Africa. Cardiovasc J Afr 2022; 33: 88–94 www.cvja.co.za DOI: 10.5830/CVJA-2022-020 The Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) convenes its pan-African conference every two years, hosted by one of the African member cardiology societies. The Kenya Cardiac Society (KCS) won the bid to host the 15th PASCAR congress that was held in Mombasa, Kenya, in November 2021 and it was combined with the 38th annual KCS scientific congress. The first PASCAR congress was held in 1981, hosted by the Nigeria Cardiac Society under the leadership of its then President, Prof Ayodele Falase, during which PASCAR was officially inaugurated. At that time, this was a very important milestone spurred on by the realisation that most international cardiology congresses were orientated towards the Americas and Europe, with little contextualised focus on the growing cardiovascular needs across the African continent. In sub-Saharan Africa, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) rank second among the causes of death and are responsible for 35% of all mortalities.1 Therefore, the mandate of PASCAR is to prevent and treat CVDs in Africa, to elevate the training of health professionals on CVDs, to educate the public about heart diseases, to invest in CVD research and to collaborate with regional policy makers on advancing infrastructural capacity around CVD systems of care and access. The PASCAR congresses have focused on analysing cardiovascular problems common in the region, new technology and fostering collaboration between cardiology professionals across the continent. As the burden of CVDs in Africa continues to rise, PASCAR and its partners are at the forefront of bridging the gaps in capacity building, education, policy and research to design regional solutions to the growing epidemic of CVDs in our populations. This publication serves to summarise the proceedings of the 15th PASCAR congress, held between 22 and 25 November 2021 in Mombasa, Kenya, where the theme was advancing cardiovascular care in Africa through collaborative research and training. Congress objectives and organisation The main objectives of the 15th PASCAR congress were to (1) advance skills and knowledge on CVDs affecting the continent through collaboration with thought leaders from across the globe; (2) engage with policy makers to address health-system issues affecting access to CVD care in Africa; (3) share challenges and solutions through locally generated research data and clinical cases from across the African continent; (4) strengthen collaborations between PASCAR, KCS, other African cardiac societies, and key stakeholders, including the World Heart Federation (WHF) and European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The Congress organisation was planned at three levels. The overall congress organisation and planning was led by an organising committee, comprising representatives from the PASCAR governing council, the KCS executive committee and representatives from the WHF. A scientific committee comprising representatives from the PASCAR task forces, paired with KCS members, nominated based on their expertise in different CVDs, was also formed to develop the scientific ongres Proceedings
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