Monitoring, Evaluation, and Disease Surveillance for Cardiovascular Surgical Disease

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and rapidly growing with the epidemiological transition of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Timely detection is paramount to avoid progressive disease with a poorer prognosis, yet screening mechanisms for cardiovascular diseases are limited beyond dedicated clinics and centers in LMICs. Moreover, diagnostic modalities are sparse, limiting conclusive diagnosis for many living with cardiovascular diseases in LMICs. However, opportunities arise to train community health workers and non-clinicians to screen people in their communities, whilst generating knowledge on the true burden in countries and regions to hold policy-makers and decision-makers accountable for the gaps in cardiac care.