Although sub-Saharan Africa continues to fight the battle against infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA and with all the international effort directed at these diseases and with the advances achieved in different countries, sub-Saharan Africa is heading towards an epidemic different. , this time of cardiovascular diseases. Recent statistics have shown that the diseases will become the number one cause of death in developing countries within the next 10 to 15 years, but sub-Saharan Africa may well already be in an epidemic, as there is no data to determine the magnitude and burden of disease, the distribution among the population of cardiovascular diseases.

When sub-Saharan Africa is bogged down in its struggle to win the battle against communicable diseases, chronic and non-communicable diseases are given little if any attention, competing with other health and social programmes. This brings us to why the world is watching and a looming epidemic is about to sweep across sub-Saharan Africa, simply because cardiovascular disease has no face, does not paint a face of despair, a grown man wasted as a result of tuberculosis, a malnourished child because she was an orphan and had lost her mother to AIDS.

those are the faces that float around, that have led to massive programs and funding. Cardiovascular disease used to be a disease of wealth, but not anymore, with rising GDP in these countries being accompanied by rising waistlines, with women empowered to come up with lifestyle changes resulting in new and emerging risk factor’s. As some may suggest, Africa has a lot to worry about in addition to good quality research, but without it, it may not be known how best to address this problem. There have been enough words without enough action, now is the time to dedicate resources to this faceless disease that will deprive sub-Saharan Africa of the necessary workforce, leave families shattered as loved ones pass away suddenly, and sub-Saharans most of all. Saharan Africa will be in double jeopardy.