Dr. Mamadú Djalo

Dr. Mamadú Djalo is a cardiologist at Simão Mendes National Hospital — Guinea-Bissau's main referral hospital — where he provides specialist cardiovascular care to a population with very limited access to cardiology services. One of a handful of cardiologists in the country, he manages hypertensive heart disease, which is enormously prevalent in West Africa, as well as heart failure, rheumatic heart disease — a major concern due to residual rheumatic fever from untreated streptococcal infections — and dilated cardiomyopathy. Trained in Senegal at one of West Africa's strongest cardiology programmes, Dr. Djalo performs echocardiography, interprets ECGs, and manages both acute and chronic cardiovascular conditions. He works in close collaboration with the WHO Country Office and international NGOs supporting cardiac care capacity in Guinea-Bissau. His multilingual capability — Portuguese (Guinea-Bissau's official language), French, and Crioulo — reflects the country's unique cultural landscape.

Dr. Djalo completed his medical degree (Licenciatura em Medicina) at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Dakar, Senegal — one of West Africa's most prestigious medical universities with which Guinea-Bissau has long-standing training agreements. He subsequently completed the Diplôme d'Études Spécialisées (DES) in Cardiology at UCAD, receiving training in clinical cardiology, echocardiography, and cardiac electrophysiology. He has participated in training workshops organised by the Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) on heart failure management and rheumatic heart disease, and attends Société de Cardiologie de Langue Française congresses for continuing professional development.

Dr. Djalo's clinical expertise centres on the cardiovascular diseases most prevalent in Guinea-Bissau and West Africa. Hypertensive heart disease is his most frequent diagnosis — he manages resistant hypertension, hypertensive heart failure, and hypertensive emergency. He performs and interprets echocardiography for assessment of cardiac structure and function, guiding management of dilated cardiomyopathy, pericardial disease, and valvular pathology. Rheumatic heart disease — including assessment of mitral stenosis and regurgitation — forms a major part of his valvular disease practice. He manages heart failure with both preserved and reduced ejection fraction using evidence-adapted regimens accounting for available medications in Guinea-Bissau. ECG interpretation for arrhythmia detection and pericardiocentesis for life-threatening pericardial effusion are within his procedural scope.

Dr. Djalo consults in Portuguese, French, and Crioulo (Guinea-Bissau Creole). International NGO workers, diplomatic staff, and humanitarian personnel based in Bissau can access his cardiology services at Simão Mendes National Hospital. He can communicate in French with Francophone African patients and in Portuguese with patients from other Lusophone countries. For complex cases requiring interventional cardiology or cardiac surgery, he facilitates referral to partner hospitals in Senegal, Portugal, or Brazil. He advises international visitors with known cardiac conditions to bring a copy of their most recent ECG, echocardiography report, and medication list when travelling to Guinea-Bissau.

Dr. Djalo is registered with the Ordem dos Médicos da Guiné-Bissau and is a member of the Société de Cardiologie de Langue Française (SCLF) and the Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR). He has been recognised by the Guinea-Bissau Ministry of Health for his contributions to developing cardiology services at Simão Mendes National Hospital. He collaborates with the World Heart Federation's programmes on rheumatic heart disease elimination in West Africa and participates in PASCAR's capacity-building workshops for African cardiologists.