ZANZIBAR, Tanzania, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian Vice President Philip Mpango on Friday urged African countries to deepen research on cardiovascular diseases, stressing cardiovascular diseases have not been given proper attention in the continent.

"Owing to the growing prevalence of heart failure in this region, research into the determinants of cardiovascular diseases must go beyond the conventional risk factors, and shed light on the role of local practices and cultural habits in determining the incidence of conditions that are particularly common in Africa," said Mpango while opening the HeartTeam Africa Cardiotan 2024 Conference in Tanzania's Zanzibar.

He said that to succeed in overcoming cardiovascular diseases, people must adhere to preventive measures against risk factors such as smoking, inactivity, excessive alcohol intake, and obesity.

Mpango called upon public health and primary care physicians to put more emphasis on reducing these risk factors, adding that there was a need to scale up the promotion of health awareness by physicians, educators, policy-makers, and media.

The vice president quoted statistics by the World Health Organization showing that cardiovascular diseases account for 7 percent to 10 percent of all adult hospital admissions in Africa, with heart failure accounting for about 3 percent to 7 percent.