ALARM has been triggered over risk Tanzanians are facing in life-threatening health matter due to Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) being on the rise in unmanageable scale.
Tanzania, like some other developing countries, is experiencing a higher burden of Non- Communicable Diseases (NCDs), with CVDs being the most prevalent diseases among them, the recent estimates showing that approximately 33 percent of all Tanzanian population is affected by NCDs, mainly CVDs, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases.
The probability of dying from NCDs among adults aged 30 to 70 years is approximated to 16 percent. Cardiovascular diseases alone are responsible for 13 percent of the total NCDs deaths in Tanzania and adults aged 25–64 years are highly affected.
Findings of a study conducted by three academics from the Nelson Mandela Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) have it that age-standardized CVDs mortality rates have shown higher death rates among Tanzanian men compared to women (473 versus 382 per 10,000 populations).
The trio; Ms Wilfrida Paul Roman (Master), Dr Haikael David Martin (PhD) and Dr Elingarami Saul (PhD) have divulged in their findings that there has been an increased prevalence of CVDs deaths rates from nine to 13 percent between 2012 and 2016 in the country.
In their article cited ‘Cardiovascular diseases in Tanzania: The burden of modifiable and intermediate risk factors’, the scholars note that the prevalence has been driven by the growing trends of CVD risk factors in the country.
“If no strategic measures are taken, the rates of CVD mortality-related diseases in Tanzania are expected to rise by 20 percent in 2020, and this will cause over one million deaths,” the scholars who are from the Department of Food Biotechnology and Nutritional Sciences and Department of Global Health and Biomedical Sciences note.
That is said to be the situation in spite of the Government of Tanzania taking action to ensure actual control and management of NCDs, such as development and implementation of the National Strategic Plan (2009–2015) that included different stakeholders for a unified action to fight against NCDs including CVDs. This has been done through improvement of healthcare system that comprises provision of improved prevention methods, realistic diagnostic equipment and affordable treatments.
The Government of Tanzania has also created favorable environment through provision of improved and valuable healthcare services to all individuals suffering from NCDs. However, subnational STEP survey conducted in 2012 showed higher prevalence of CVDs and their associated risk factors both in men and women.
The rise of CVD risk factors has been attributed to high costs of healthcare services, untrained health workers, lifestyle modifications, negative effects of globalization, urbanization and migration of rural dwellers to urban areas. The scholars propose that more efforts are needed at country, regional and district levels, to increase the capacity for prevention, management, and control of CVDs.
Modifiable/behavioral risk factors are most common preventable risk factors that underlie the development of CVDs. The study found those to include unhealthy eating, tobacco use, excessive alcohol intake and physical inactivity. Poor management and prevention of the risk factors leads to metabolic/physiological changes that accelerate to the development of CVDs.
“Comprehensive policies, such as tobacco/cigarette smoking policy, alcohol consumption policy, dietary policy, including labeling and marketing of food products, salt reduction policy, guidelines on clinical and nutritional management of CVDs, and physical activity, are essential elements in the management of CVDs in Tanzania,” they propose.
Early detection and timely management of CVDs and their associated risk factors, it is proposed, provide additional control measures, as late management and treatment of CVDs are proven to be costly, with higher mortality and morbidity. Community mobilization is also needed to implement prevention strategies to prevent exposure to CVD risk factors and subsequent reduction of the growing burden of CVDs.
