The need for pacemakers in Africa will rise as life expectancy and associated cardiovascular diseases increase; however, the pacing field, including appropriate training, facilities and devices, are not sufficient to meet future need, according to an Africa Heart Rhythm Association (AFHRA) statement published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
According to the paper, a recent Pan-African Society of Cardiology study found that pacemakers are not implanted in about 20% of African countries. In African countries that do perform pacing, sites and trained implanters are few, with 17 countries having fewer than five centers each. The median implantation rate in 2016 in Africa was 2.66%, which is 200-fold lower than Europe.
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