Prevalence of congenital heart disease among school children of Sahafa Town, Sudan

The prevalence of congenital heart disease among schoolchildren aged 5-15 years was studied as part of Phase 1 of the WHO Global Rheumatic Fever/Rheumatic Heart Disease Prevention Programme in Sudan. A total of 13 322 schoolchildren in Sahafa Town, Khartoum, was examined from 1986 to 1990 representing 70% of the total target population. There were 27 cases of congenital heart disease giving a prevalence rate of 2.0 per 1000. Ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect [ASD], patent ductus arteriosus [PDA] and tetralogy of Fallot made up 85% of the cases. PDA and ASD were twice as common in females as in males. The prevalence rate is comparable to that of similar African countries but lower than European and north American rates