SEATTLE, Washington — Cardiovascular diseases are often overlooked in the developing world because they are not as well represented or addressed through health care systems in low-income countries. The surprising reason for this being that health care providers in disenfranchised countries have very little education in this area. Medical practices occur all over the world; however, developing countries often miss out on essential training in technology because of underfunded labs and a lack of equipment.
Cardiovascular Health in Developing Countries
There is an assumption that heart disease only affects developed and high-income countries. However, according to The Guardian, the world’s poorest countries are seeing a rise in heart conditions. Causes include the consumption of tobacco but also similar symptoms seen in developed nations, such as high blood pressure, which affects 40% of African adults.
Another common misconception is that global poverty and death rates are only associated with infectious diseases and nutritional deficiencies. Although many impoverished populations suffer from these diseases, 55% of the 25.3 million deaths in tropical regions in 2016 occurred from untransferable diseases, such as heart diseases and cancer.
The lack of awareness surrounding cardiovascular diseases in developing countries leaves patients to be treated with ineffective methods or untreated altogether. Integrating proven cardiovascular disease treatments in addition to a holistic approach in developing countries will increase patients’ quality of life and countries’ approaches to cardiovascular health.
ITEACH at Yale
The International Team of Educators to Advance Cardiovascular Health (ITEACH) is a nonprofit organization at Yale University. The nonprofit was developed to address the underrepresented populations in the world not receiving vital information and technology on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
ITEACH is run by Yale physicians who specialize in cardiovascular medicine, some of who have personally experienced the struggles of lacking access to essential medical resources while studying in developing countries.
The nonprofit organization strives to provide doctors and nurses worldwide with the education and resources necessary to treat and prevent cardiovascular diseases. The reason ITEACH’s focus is on the health care providers rather than the patients is because of the more successful results that can be implemented long-term. So far, the nonprofit worked within Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Russia, Indonesia, Honduras and Rwanda, meeting a range of needs and targeting the cardiovascular problems each country struggles with the most.
Heart Diseases Affecting Developing Countries
- Chagas disease is found in Latin America’s low-income areas. A bug transmits the parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, leading to heart failure.
- Malaria, although not commonly recognized as cardiovascular disease, is also transmitted through a parasite. This disease affects the world’s poorest countries, which can lead to heart diseases.
- Tropical Endomyocardial Fibrosis targets rural populations and affects tropical countries in poverty, such as Uganda. Chronic inflammation and ventricle filling can lead to heart failure.
Many developing countries cannot afford the necessary equipment to detect and treat heart diseases. As such, the nonprofit also hopes to integrate cost-effective technology for screenings.
ITEACH at Yale sends expert teams to vulnerable countries in hopes of equipping low-income areas with the equipment, knowledge and training to provide disadvantaged populations with the essential resources to combat heart diseases.