Madagascar: building the first public invasive heart center
The Coeur Équitable project will make modern invasive cardiac therapies both available and affordable for the Malagasy population.
Initial situation
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. The need for advanced cardiovascular disease treatments has increased over the last few decades, as has the rising life expectancy of the population. Despite the need for heart disease treatment, the largest part of the Malagasy population has no access to modern invasive treatment for heart attacks, rhythm disturbances, or heart failure.
In collaboration with the local NGO Coeur Équitable, the Heart Clinic Foundation has helped to launch the first public cardiac catheterization laboratory on Malagasy grounds. It took more than six months of intensive preparations including the installation of an angiography suite, the supply of the required consumables and implants and the training of the hospital staff to lay the groundwork. The catheterization laboratory was officially inaugurated in November 2022, and the first patient was successfully treated with a coronary stent intervention on November 21, 2022.
Our objective
To provide public access to modern invasive cardiac therapies in Madagascar. Modern cardiac therapies are neither available nor affordable to the average Malagasy citizen. Sadly, cardiovascular disease is on the rise and ranks among the most common causes of premature death in countries like Madagascar. It is estimated that 500,000 individuals suffer from untreated coronary heart disease. Those wealthy enough to afford treatment abroad face costly medical evacuations to the nearby islands La Réunion or Mauritius, or even to continental Africa or Europe. This is a privilege far from reach for the vast majority of citizens.
The objective of the Coeur Équitable project is to provide access to appropriate domestic invasive and surgical cardiovascular care for the broad Malagasy population. The project is based on four key attributes: appropriate, affordable, sustainable, domestic. After the successful launch of the catheterization laboratory in Antananarivo, the Heart Clinic Foundation will turn its attention to the education and training of local specialists able to carry on the project with less and less support from foreign cardiologists.
Facts & Figures
million people in Madagascar.
cardiologists in Madagascar.
One patient dies from heart disease in Madagascar every 13 minutes.
people in Madagascar suffer from untreated coronary heart disease.
Areas of activities
1. Installation, outfitting and launch of a fully equipped cardiac catheterization laboratory with the capacity to perform standard percutaneous coronary interventions.
2. Education and training of local specialized medical and non-medical professionals.
3. Off-site (distance) medical support for local staff regarding difficult cardiovascular problems.
4. Occasional evacuation of underprivileged patients with complex cardiovascular conditions for whom appropriate treatment is not available on site.
Our contribution
The Heart Clinic Foundation made key contributions to the Coeur Équitable project with its expertise and education. Thanks to the expertise of distinguished, experienced and internationally recognized cardiovascular professionals of the Heart Clinic Zurich Switzerland, it was possible to install and outfit a remote coronary angiography suite in Antananarivo. We also trained specialized technicians and performed the first successful coronary angiography procedures on Malagasy land. Moreover, the vast academic experience of Heart Clinic Foundation members is an essential base in providing continuing medical education and training of local medical professionals.
“The mission is to provide access to appropriate domestic invasive and surgical cardiovascular care for the broad Malagasy population.”
The launch of the Coeur Équitable project and the inauguration of the first public cardiac catheterization laboratory has received large regional and national media attention and has been met by support from various sources. Dr. Monique Rakotomalala, founder of the NGO Coeur Équitable, was awarded one of the highest honors for a philanthropic project of French origin by the Société des Membres de la Légion d’Honneur (SMLH). The Swiss and French embassies have both expressed their official support for the project.
Get involved
Your contribution helps save lives in Madagascar.
Partners
Heart Clinic Hirslanden
The Heart Clinic Hirslanden is a private group of Swiss professionals specializing in cardiovascular medicine (cardiology and cardiovascular surgery) working at Hirslanden Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland.
Coeur Équitable
Coeur Équitable is an international NGO, founded by Dr. Monique Rakotomalala, with the aim of providing access to cardiovascular care for Malagasy citizens.