Cairo, 14 August 2025 - Novo Nordisk organized the first Pan-African summit dedicated to Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) syndrome and hosted scientific communication training for physicians in June 2025, in Cape Town, South Africa. The summit brought together 350 experts and healthcare professionals to address the increasing burden that CKM syndrome places on individuals, communities, and healthcare systems.
The event featured a series of scientific sessions exploring all aspects of CKM syndrome and the unmet medical needs of people living with type 2 diabetes and obesity. The agenda covered key topics such as effective treatment strategies and the challenges of integrating the latest clinical trial practices into everyday healthcare provision, with the goal of supporting healthcare professionals in implementing evidence-based medicine. There was also a significant focus on health equity. Scientific sessions addressed strategies to improve access to care, reduce disease-related stigma, and promote communication approaches that respect patients’ cultural differences.
The summit explored several significant research outcomes that are expected to advance patient care in Egypt by equipping medical teams with a deeper understanding of best practices in the management of cardiovascular and kidney diseases. The sessions emphasized the importance of linking obesity and diabetes treatment to the long-term protection of vital organs, which enhances treatment effectiveness while reducing health risks over time. The summit highlighted the need to treat obesity as a chronic, recurrent disease that requires a systematic response from government bodies, the medical community, and patients alike. Participants were encouraged to adopt a holistic model of prevention, early diagnosis, and integrated disease management to reduce the complications associated with obesity and its related conditions.
During the summit, leading healthcare professionals from Egypt and across Africa examined the complex links among diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disorders. The audience benefited from the insights and expertise of a distinguished panel of medical experts, including:
Professor Samir Naiem Assad, Professor of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Alexandria University.
Professor Magdy Helmy Magalla, Professor of Diabetes and Metabolism, Alexandria University.
Professor Arya Sharma, Professor and Head of Obesity Research and Treatment, University of Edmonton, Germany;
Professor Hani Sabbour, Assistant Professor of Cardiology, Brown University, USA.
Commenting on the significance of the summit, Malika de Maillard, Head of Africa Business at Novo Nordisk, stated: “Novo Nordisk offers integrated, comprehensive solutions for patients based on clinical evidence. This first-of-its-kind Pan-African summit highlighted both the CKM syndrome and the urgent need to base all clinical decisions on robust evidence, continuing to work sustainably in this direction. A high body mass index (BMI) increases the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer, due to its profound impact on metabolic health and chronic inflammation.
According to the World Obesity Atlas 2025, the number of adults in Africa living with obesity (BMI over 30) is expected to reach 106 million by 2030, presenting a major public health challenge. This concerning figure includes approximately 30 million men and 76 million women, underscoring the rapidly escalating problem of obesity across the continent. Addressing these health challenges requires more than understanding each disease in isolation. It demands an appreciation for how these conditions are interconnected, especially as the obesity epidemic increasingly affects those most at risk within our region.”
During the press conference announcing the National Strategy to Combat Obesity, Professor Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population, stated, "The '100 Million Health' initiative revealed that approximately 40% of adults in 2023 suffer from obesity. The rate reaches nearly 50% among women, significantly increasing their risk of chronic diseases."
Meanwhile, diabetes remains a silent epidemic threatening public health in Egypt. According to data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the number of adults living with diabetes in the country has reached 13 million, of whom 62% are undiagnosed. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Egypt, accounting for about 46% of total mortality. Diabetes ranks as the sixth leading cause of death, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) data from 2019. Chronic kidney disease rates continue to rise due to the widespread prevalence of hypertension and diabetes, as indicated by the 2021 reports from the Egyptian Ministry of Health. These figures underscore the urgent need to enhance nationwide public awareness and preventive programmes targeting chronic diseases in the Egyptian community.
In this context, Dr. Ayman Hassan, General Manager of Novo Nordisk Egypt, emphasized that the company invests more than 6 billion euros annually in research and development, advancing innovative medicines to treat a broad spectrum of widespread chronic diseases often occurring together, such as cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic disorders. The company also plays a pivotal role in addressing these conditions in Egypt through a comprehensive strategy built on four key pillars: raising community awareness, training and empowering healthcare professionals, supporting patients, and fostering effective strategic partnerships with relevant health authorities.
CKM syndrome was first defined by the American Heart Association in 2023 and refers to the medical condition that affects most major organs, such as heart, kidneys, brain and liver. Chronic CKM diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and MASH rarely occur in isolation.1-3 Instead, they share the same underlying risk factors that increase multimorbidity over time, leading to severe outcomes such as myocardial infarction, stroke and kidney failure.1-3 Management of CKM diseases in patients requires a holistic, multifactorial, person-centric approach as suggested by treatment guidelines.4 Semaglutide provides beneficial effects across the spectrum of CKM diseases; allows for individualized and timely delivery of benefits aligned to the preferences and needs of patients, across indications and formulations5-6.
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 77,400 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.