AstraZeneca, in collaboration with Marmara University and Hacettepe University, has launched Excellence Center Programs aimed at enhancing the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals from the Middle East and Africa (MEA) in the diagnosis and management of heart failure, and adopting methods focused on artificial intelligence technology. This initiative aims to establish Turkey as a reference country in the field of heart failure on the international stage.
Within these programs, experienced Turkish physicians share their practical experiences in heart failure and artificial intelligence technologies with cardiologists from the Middle East and Africa region.
With the unconditional and partial support of AstraZeneca Turkey, the PROHEART-AI project, aimed at early detection of heart failure using artificial intelligence and wearable technology, was launched last year.
The Hacettepe University Excellence Center Program was completed in November last year and February this year at Hacettepe University’s Department of Cardiology, with the participation of six specialist cardiologists from Ghana, Morocco, and Lebanon. The program included practical sessions on early diagnosis of heart failure and the introduction of the hospital’s artificial intelligence program.
The Marmara University Excellence Center Program was held last December at Marmara University with the participation of eight cardiologists from Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Jordan, and Iraq, and this May with the participation of eleven cardiologists from Egypt, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The program featured multidisciplinary sessions on the PROHEART-AI project and the use of artificial intelligence technology in monitoring heart failure.
To date, a total of 25 cardiologists from 11 countries have participated in these programs.
Dr. Viraj Rajadhyaksha, Medical Director of AstraZeneca’s Middle East and Africa Region, provided information about the program, stating, “In our endeavor to make Turkey a reference center in the field of heart failure, we have established successful collaborations to implement two Excellence Center Programs in Turkey. The cardiologists participating in the programs from different countries will apply their acquired experiences to their daily practice and start developing local protocols for screening, diagnosing, and treating heart failure. Through our collaborations with Hacettepe University and Marmara University, and the programs to be held in the future, we aim to push the boundaries of science for the benefit of patients and communities, embrace new technologies and innovations, thereby improving disease detection and health outcomes. We hope that these programs will pave the way for future collaborations in the MEA region and beyond.”
