CAIRO, June 28 (MENA) – The founder of the National Program for Heart Rheumatism, Dr. Alaa Al-Ghamrawy, announced the launch of a major initiative under the slogan "Ending Heart Rheumatism in Africa."

The initiative, led by Adel Adawi, former Minister of Health and incumbent President of the Egyptian Medical Association, represents a significant step forward and reflects Egypt’s health leadership in the African continent, he said.

Ghamrawy told MENA that the initiative aims to establish actual cooperation with eight African countries in the Nile Basin as it begins with the establishment of two specialized centers for heart rheumatism; one in Rwanda and the other in Tanzania.

He said the initiative enhances Egypt's role in building sustainable health systems in Africa, noting that both specialized centers are supported by national Egyptian companies.

The initiative is also significantly supported by the world-renowned heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub, according to him.

He pointed out that the initiative includes programs to train doctors, exchange expertise, and encourage joint scientific research between Egypt and African countries to ensure the sustainability of efforts and the achievement of tangible results in the long run.

Ghamrawy said the initiative was officially launched Friday on the sidelines of the fourth edition of the Africa Health ExCon 2025, which took place over three days under the patronage of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

This initiative comes in the wake of recent medical research published by The Lancet Global Health, which indicated that approximately 40 million people in Africa are at risk of contracting heart rheumatism every year, especially school-age children, making early interventions and community awareness both necessary and imperative. (MENA)

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