PASCAR Heart Failure Task Force Meeting Report (20 April 2016 Tanzania)

  • 30 May 2016 | PASCAR Heart Failure Task Force Meeting Report (20 April 2016 Tanzania)

Delegate List (Tanzania except if indicated): Pilly Chilly, Faraja Chiwanga, Albertino Damasceno (Mozambique), Moddy Janabi, Delilah Kimambo, Peter Kisenge, Kim Lamont (South Africa), Abel Makubi, Ana-Olga Mocumbi (Mozambique), Reuben Mutagaywa, Robert Mvungi, George Nel  (South Africa), Elijah Ogola (Kenya), Sandra Pretorius  (South Africa), Guteta Senbeta (Ethiopia), Tulizo Shemu, Karen Sliwa-Hahnle  (South Africa), Kemi Tibazarwa, Tatizo Waane, Dejuma Yadeta (Ethiopia) and Peter Zartner (Germany).

Prof. Karen Sliwa held the Pan-African Cardiac Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Task Force meeting jointly with the first Tanzania Cardiac Conference in Dar es Salaam (20-22 April 2016). More than 25 physicians, cardiologists, endocrinologists, nephrologists, dieticians, nurses and students participated in the workshop which was followed by a social and interactive dinner. At the workshop Prof. Sliwa presented an update on the finalization of the PASCAR Heart of Africa book, which will be published later this year. She also provided a brief overview on a number of new larger studies which have either started recently (SHARE-Cardiac Disease in Maternity II study) or will commence later in 2016. This included the Nurse-IT Study which will investigate the concept of a nurse-led, IT-supported heart failure study in a number of African countries, which is supported by the African Heart Initiative and the Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa. She announced the acceptance of the BEHAF study as a paper to be published in the European Journal of heart failure (May 2016) and that those results would be presented as a "late braking trail session" at the upcoming ESC Heart Failure meeting, Florence, Italy 21 May 2016.

A brief overview on the Inter-CHF Global Registry led by the Population Health Research Institute under Prof. Salim Yusuf, with Prof Sliwa as the African study leader, was only provided.

Research collaborators from a number of neighboring countries, Prof. Elijah Ogola (Nairobi, Kenya), Prof. Albertino Damasceno (Maputo, Mozambique) and Prof. Ana Mocumbi (Maputo, Mozambique) led the interactive discussion and provided hands-on-tips to new and junior researchers. Miss Sandra Pretorius (PhD student, supervisor K. Sliwa) and Dr. Kim Lamont (Postdoctoral fellow, supervisor K. Sliwa) had the opportunity to be part of this meeting, prior to giving invited lectures on SMS technology to improve clinic adherence for pregnant women and nutritional aspects in the Soweto population at the clinical symposium.

On the morning of the 22 April the opportunity arose to visit the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, Muhimbili Hospital, Dar Es Salaam. Prof. Sliwa visited this newly built, not yet used 100-bed cardiac Institute in 2011 and found huge progress with this visit. The team received a tour by the director of the Institute, Dr. Mohammed Janabi, Dr. Robert Mvungi and other colleagues. Everyone was most impressed by the acquisition of the new expensive equipment such as the new Siemens Cath Lab, which has already been used for more than 400 patients, the start of cardiothoracic surgery, the well-organized outpatient clinic and pharmacy (see picture). The Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute will soon be one of the leading cardiac clinical centres in Africa.  Dr. Kemi Tibazarwa, (previous PhD student supervised by Prof. Sliwa, and now one of the World Heart Federation Emerging Leaders) is responsible for establishing research projects at the Institute.

Plaque unveiled 15 September 2015

Dr. Mohammed Janabi welcomes  PASCAR delegation

On the 23rd April the First Tanzanian Cardiac Society meeting, organized jointly with PASCAR commenced. Mr George Nel and his team from PASCAR, together with Dr. Mvungi and Dr. Tibazarwa, put in tremendous efforts to make this first event a success. There were more than 175 participants in a well-balanced program which included general clinical, pediatric and interventional sessions. AstraZeneca as the Platinum sponsor supported the Acute Coronary Syndrome session and Boston (Silver sponsor) the STEMI program with Medtronic (Silver sponsor) offering a special pacing workshop. Lectures were given by senior professors but also by emerging researchers making it a lively and interactive program.

Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, Muhimbili Hospital, Dar Es Salaam

Postdoctoral fellows visiting Muhimbili Hospital Cardiac Garden

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