The government is stepping up efforts to strengthen cardiovascular healthcare through expanded screening, improved access to treatment, enhanced training of health workers, and wider availability of essential medicines as part of the drive towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Stakeholders have called for concerted efforts to strengthen emergency and critical care services and build a resilient, equitable, and responsive system to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and ensure access to quality healthcare services across the country.
Speaking during the 43rd Annual Scientific Congress of the Kenya Cardiac Society in Mombasa, Dr. Yvette Kisaka, the Ministry of Health’s Technical Lead for Sickle Cell and Cardiovascular Diseases under the Division of Cancer and Diabetes, said cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain one of Kenya’s leading public health challenges, accounting for an estimated 13 per cent of all deaths and between 25 and 50 percent of hospital admissions.
The conference, held under the theme “Advancing Cardiovascular Care Through Continental Science,” brought together cardiologists, researchers, policymakers, and other healthcare professionals from across Africa to explore home-grown solutions for preventing and managing heart diseases.
Dr. Kisaka said the Ministry of Health has strengthened primary healthcare, as the foundation of UHC, with community health promoters conducting routine screening for hypertension and diabetes, the two leading risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, before referring high-risk patients to health facilities for specialized care.
She said the ministry has also partnered with the Kenya Cardiac Society to build the capacity of healthcare workers, revise national cardiovascular disease management guidelines launched in 2024, and develop standard treatment protocols for non-communicable diseases to improve the quality of care across the country.
The medic said the government is working with relevant stakeholders in scaling up several initiatives to curb the rising rates of heart disease, stroke, and hypertension across the country.
To improve access to treatment, Dr. Kisaka said the government has revised the Essential Medicines List to ensure drugs for hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions are available even at Level Two and Level Three health facilities, with plans to extend access to dispensaries.
She added that the government is investing heavily in digitizing the health sector through electronic health records and disease registries to generate reliable local data that will guide policy formulation, planning, and resource allocation.
Dr. Kisaka also said the Social Health Authority (SHA) has incorporated cardiovascular services under its three health financing funds, enabling patients to access care ranging from preventive services at the primary healthcare level to specialized treatment for chronic and critical illnesses without suffering financial hardship.
She noted that despite the progress made, the Ministry continues to engage the Social Health Authority to expand benefit packages and enhance comprehensive care for patients living with cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Kisaka has urged Kenyans to adopt healthy lifestyles and diets to prevent cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases by avoiding risk factors like tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and harmful alcohol consumption.
Kenya Cardiac Society President Dr. Mzee Ngunga said heart failure has emerged as the leading cardiovascular condition among adults in Kenya, largely driven by uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, obesity, blocked arteries, and heart valve diseases.
He said congenital heart disease remains the most common heart condition among children, while rheumatic heart disease continues to affect many young people following untreated bacterial infections that damage heart valves.
Dr. Ngunga warned that lifestyle-related risk factors, including smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, and physical inactivity, are contributing to the increasing burden of cardiovascular diseases and stroke in the country.
He said nearly one in every four or five Kenyan adults is living with hypertension, many without knowing it, while diabetes now affects between four and eight per cent of the adult population.
Although Kenya has recorded significant progress in increasing the number of cardiologists, physicians, and diagnostic equipment across counties, Dr. Ngunga said affordability remains the biggest barrier preventing many patients from accessing specialized cardiac care.
Consultant cardiologist and heart failure specialist Dr. Anders Barasa said Kenya must invest in locally generated scientific research to better understand the country’s unique cardiovascular disease patterns instead of relying heavily on data from Europe and North America.
He said differences in genetics, environmental factors, and infectious diseases mean Kenya requires its own epidemiological data to develop treatment guidelines suited to local populations.
“Timely diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases are critical to preventing severe complications, as it saves lives and prevents permanent damage,” he said.
Dr. Barasa added that while artificial intelligence is expected to transform healthcare over the next decade, the country’s immediate priority should be closing the healthcare access gap by ensuring more Kenyans receive timely diagnosis and treatment for cardiovascular diseases.
By Hussein Abdullahi
