For nearly one million Algerians, a diagnosis of heart failure used to feel like an irreversible countdown toward dialysis. That script is now being rewritten. Specialists speaking yesterday at a scientific conference organized by NHS Mediacom unveiled a more hopeful picture, thanks to new protective treatments and a more coordinated approach to care. It is now possible to halt the downward spiral of the cardio‑renal syndrome.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 64.3 million people worldwide suffer from heart failure, with around four million new cases each year. In Algeria, the trend is alarmingly upward: an estimated 919,000 patients are affected, with a significant share progressing toward severe complications, including dialysis. Doctors emphasized that new medicines, now manufactured locally, can jointly “protect” the heart and the kidneys. This is no longer just about medical care; it is about giving patients a realistic chance at a normal life, they insisted.
The event was organized under the patronage of the Association of Medical Analysis Laboratories, the Algerian Cardiology Society, and the Algerian Society of General Medicine. Professor Mohamed Chettibi, head of cardiology at the Issad‑Hassani CHU in Béni Messous, painted a disturbing picture of the situation. He also highlighted gender‑based disparities: women are more exposed to hypertension and stroke, while men face a higher risk of heart attack and ischemic disease.
A major challenge remains the silent nature of kidney disease. “Who can say with certainty that their kidneys are functioning properly?” asked Professor Farid Haddoum, head of nephrology and hemodialysis at the Mustapha CHU. With few early symptoms, diagnoses often come only at an advanced stage. 2025 national figures are telling: out of 42,500 kidney‑failure patients, 38,000 were on hemodialysis, 1,000 on peritoneal dialysis, and only 3,500 had received a transplant.
In the specialist’s view, “chronic hemodialysis is medicine’s failure,” especially since therapeutic alternatives now exist. Innovative drug classes such as SGLT2 inhibitors, ARBs, and GLP‑1 receptor agonists can now significantly slow the progression of kidney disease and reduce cardiovascular complications.
A ticking financial time‑bomb
Beyond the medical impact, the cardio‑renal syndrome imposes a heavy economic burden. Internal‑medecine specialist Professor Zoubir Sari warned of a “risk of collapse for health‑care systems” if no comprehensive strategy is adopted. Repeated hospitalizations, specialized tests (biomarkers, echocardiography), and intensive treatments such as dialysis generate substantial costs. For example, annual drug therapy for a patient runs between 35,000 and 70,000 DA, while hemodialysis approaches nearly 2 million dinars per patient per year.
This financial pressure hits both families—through lost income and out‑of‑pocket expenses—and public finances, which are already under strain. In response, experts are calling for a deep transformation of care pathways. “It is time to move away from siloed medicine,” stressed Professor Sari, advocating coordinated work among cardiologists, nephrologists, and general practitioners.
This strategy rests on three complementary pillars: primary prevention, aimed at keeping the population healthy as long as possible; secondary prevention, focused on early detection and slowing the progression of disease; and tertiary prevention, which seeks to improve patients’ quality of life and reduce complications. In this global approach, the pharmaceutical industry appears as a key partner, contributing to therapeutic innovation and the improvement of care pathways.
New drugs, better lives, and a stronger local industry
Today’s treatment advances translate into tangible benefits for patients. Therapies acting on both the heart and the kidneys help people live longer and in better health. Specialists stressed the critical role of pharmaceutical laboratories in this dynamic, through their investment in therapeutic innovation, the continuous training of health‑care professionals, and the development of local production.
In recent years, several international players—such as AstraZeneca and El Kendi—have strengthened their presence in Algeria, investing in local manufacturing of medicines and introducing innovative therapies, especially in diabetes, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases, to improve access to treatment. At the same time, national laboratories have expanded their industrial capacity and now offer a broad portfolio of products covering multiple therapeutic areas, including chronic diseases.
This growing local production capacity is intended to meet rising health‑care demand, reduce dependence on imports, and strengthen Algeria’s pharmaceutical sovereignty.