The burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the world is enormous and growing, and the majority of those affected are in developing countries (Beaglehole and Yach 2003; Mbewu 1998). In 2002 it was estimated that 29 percent of deaths worldwide (16.7 million deaths) were due to CVD and that 43 percent of global morbidity and mortality, measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), was caused by CVD (WHO 2002). Furthermore, 78 percent of global mortality and 86 percent of mortality and morbidity from CVD occurs in developing countries. By 2020 it is estimated that CVD will become the leading cause of the global health burden, accounting for 73 percent of total global mortality and 56 percent of total morbidity (Murray and Lopez 1996; Reddy and Yusuf 1998). Africa has not been spared this global tide of CVD. In most African countries CVD is now the second most common cause of death after infectious disease, accounting for 11 percent of total deaths (WHO 1999); and CVD is a major cause of chronic illness and disability. Projections from the Global Burden of Disease Project suggest that from 1990 to 2020, the burden of CVD faced by African countries will double. A large proportion of the victims of CVD will be middle-aged people. The poor will suffer disproportionately as a consequence of their higher disease risk and limited access to health care. The financial and social costs of this CVD epidemic are likely to have a negative impact on development and the alleviation of poverty (http://www.ichealth.org).
心血管疾病（CVD）在全球造成的负担极为沉重且仍在不断加重，其中大多数患者集中在发展中国家（比格霍尔和亚奇，2003年；姆贝武，1998年）。2002年估计，全球29%的死亡（1670万例死亡）归因于心血管疾病，按伤残调整生命年（DALYs）衡量，全球43%的发病和死亡是由心血管疾病所致（世界卫生组织，2002年）。此外，全球78%的心血管疾病死亡以及86%的心血管疾病发病和死亡发生在发展中国家。据估计，到2020年，心血管疾病将成为全球健康负担的首要原因，占全球总死亡人数的73%，占总发病数的56%（默里和洛佩兹，1996年；雷迪和尤素福，1998年）。非洲也未能免受这一全球心血管疾病浪潮的影响。在大多数非洲国家，心血管疾病如今是仅次于传染病的第二大常见死因，占总死亡人数的11%（世界卫生组织，1999年）；而且心血管疾病是慢性病和残疾的主要原因。全球疾病负担项目的预测表明，从1990年到2020年，非洲国家面临的心血管疾病负担将翻倍。心血管疾病的很大一部分受害者将是中年人。穷人将因疾病风险较高且获得医疗保健的机会有限而遭受更大比例的痛苦。这场心血管疾病流行所带来的经济和社会成本可能会对发展和减贫产生负面影响（http://www.ichealth.org）。
