ZAMBIA COMEMORATES WORLD HEART DAY

 BY CYNTHIA NKHATA

As Zambia Joins other Countries to Commorate World Heart Day Zambia Heart and Stroke Foundation Founder Brenda Chitindi has urge all sections and citizens to join the forces and take down cardiovascular diseases from number one killer position.

Ms Chitindi says conditions of the heart or blood vessels including stroke and heart failure kills more than 20 million people globally each year and Zambia is not spared. 

She said 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes can be prevented saying that many affected by high – trending cardiovascular disease rates include those under 55 years of age, and people in low- and middle-income countries including Zambia and also in some high-income countries.

She stated that the global World Heart Day campaign is to drive year long awareness and action to reverse the debilitating impact of cardiovascular disease.

"Cardiovascular disease prevalence can be traced to gaps in care systems, variable access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Though relatively easy to monitor and treat, high blood pressure remains the leading risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases," She said.

"The other current pandemic is Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and air pollution which pose significant challenges to public health in Zambia," She noted.

Ms Chitindi said Zambia should urgently address Cardiovascular Diseases and air pollution as it is vital due to its significant impact on public health.

" CVDs are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa, and in Zambia, they account for 8% of overall mortality rate. While the number of cardiovascular disease-related studies in Zambia is increasing, qualitative investigations into how these diseases and their risk factors are understood within the socioeconomic and cultural contexts are limited. Air pollution is a severe global environmental threat, causing an estimated 7 million premature deaths annually. In Zambia, the mining, manufacturing and transportation sectors, are a significant contributor to air pollution, emitting substances like Sulfur dioxide (SO2), Carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulate matter. To address this issue, Zambia's health system must expand essential services for cardiovascular and circulatory conditions, emphasize primary care and early screening, allocate public funding, and ensure a sufficient healthcare workforce,"She noted

She said pollutants not only endanger public health but also impact the planet's climate and ecosystems saying most air pollution reduction policies offer a "win-win" strategy, benefiting both health and climate.

She added that Lowering air pollution levels leads to improved long- and short-term cardiovascular and respiratory health outcomes adding that reducing ambient and household air pollution can curb emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and short-lived climate pollutants like black carbon particles and methane, contributing to both near-term and long-term climate change mitigation efforts.