Coronary heart disease in sub-Saharan Africa: still rare, misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed?

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in developed countries, but it has generally been considered to be rare in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). SSA is undergoing rapid epidemiological transition with an increasing prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors and consequential cardiovascular diseases such as stroke. However, CHD including myocardial infarction has generally been considered to be rare despite this deterioration in the risk factors profile. There is an urgent need to raise awareness about CHD both in the general population and healthcare professionals while making available simple, inexpensive screening and diagnostic tools in sub-Saharan African countries.