Cardiovascular Journal of Africa: Vol 27 No 3 (May/June 2016)

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CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 27, No 3, May/June 2016 AFRICA 187
of health, population and drug control) where it was adopted
unanimously and referred for further consideration to the African
Union Heads and Government Summit.17 In their meeting held
from 7 to 12 June 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the
27th ordinary session of the Executive Council (Ministers
of Foreign Affairs) adopted the document under declaration
number (XXVII), and it was endorsed by the
25th AU Heads of State and Government Summit that was held
from 14 to 15 June 2015 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Following on the formal adoption of the principles of the
expert consultation, it is now incumbent on ministries of health
of AU member states to develop local implementation plans.
The PASCAR ARF/RHD task force is developing principles
for implementation of ARF/RHD action plans at the local
level, which will include an analysis of the key financial and
human resource investments required in order to accomplish
the objectives of the Addis Ababa communiqué. To this end,
PASCAR and the AUC plan to convene a workshop in March
2016 on the implementation of the Addis Ababa communiqué
at country level.
Conclusions
Over the past 25 years, ARF and RHD have endured on the
African continent despite dramatic progress in the control of
many other important childhood, adolescent and maternal
conditions.18-20 The partnership between the African Union
Commission and the Pan-African Society of Cardiology, and
the subsequent political commitment to the principles for the
eradication of ARF/RHD in Africa, promises to change this
situation. It is hoped that the implementation of action plans on
ARF/RHD will, through a concerted and multi-sectoral effort,
rapidly improve cardiovascular health and strengthen health
systems for chronic non-communicable diseases in Africa.
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Table 3.The Third All-Africa Workshop on ARF and RHD:
Recommendations to international stakeholders
(WHO, UNICEF,WHF and others)
1. Provide open-access resources to develop and strengthen ARF/RHD coun-
try programmes.
2. Raise the profile of RHD in the context of strengthening and equity of
health systems.
3. Partner with AU member states to address the supply of high-quality benza-
thine penicillin G.
4. Support development of an ARF vaccine that would be affordable and
effective in Africa.