Neglected Tropical Diseases as Hidden Causes of Cardiovascular Disease
Figure 2
Distribution of DALYs attributed to rheumatic heart disease among low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Rheumatic heart disease disproportionately affects LMICs. WHO Regions include Africa, the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific (see Table S1 for list of countries in each region). The regions with the highest DALYs, greater than 500,000, include LMICs of Eastern Mediterranean (577,000), of South-East Asia (2,407,000), and of Western Pacific (1,095,000). DALYs attributed to rheumatic heart disease in LMICs of Africa amount to 317,000 and in LMICs of the Americas total 101,000 [3]. Map created using qGIS version 1.6.0 Capiapo.