Dr. Vanda Azevedo

• What is your role at your work?

I set up the Cardiology Department of Agostinho Neto Hospital in Praia; I was the Director of the Department for ten years. At the moment I work in the same service as a cardiologist.

Since 2009 I have been interested in telemedicine and I am currently the Director of the National Telemedicine Service.

•      How did you get interested in your career path?

  Cardiology was a passion. Within the specialty I have dedicated myself more to arterial hypertension and rheumatic fever, because they are the diseases with greater prevalence in my country. The lack of medical specialists leads to, essentially, care activity, which does not allow dedication to clinical research. Currently I am starting out in this area.

• What are you most proud of in your career or otherwise?

Setting up the cardiology and telemedicine services in my country. Seeing the growth of telemedicine and all its growth potential is a great pride.

•  What important career challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?

Working in a country with limited resources, a lack of doctors and specialists, lacking basic equipment, makes us better physicians. We strive to do our best, without resources.

• What advice would you give your younger self?

Work with seriousness and humility, always learning. Continuing education makes us better technicians.

• Highlight your most significant research contributions and publications (3-5) – if relevant to you.

i.    Análise dos factores de risco para doença cardiovascular em Cabo Verde – I Jornadas Lusófonas de Cardiologia. Trabalho que se baseou nos resultados do INDNT de 2007. Foi publicado numa revista da Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia.

ii.    Determinação da carga viral, da diversidade genética e susceptibilidade de vírus da imunodeficiência humana aos fármacos anti-retrovirais em Cabo Verde. »projectos de investigação/intervenção – SIDA em Africa».  Fundação GlaxoSmithKline das Ciências da Saúde – 2006. Revista da Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa.

iii.    Implementation of Telemedicine in Cape Verde: Influencing Factors. Artur Correia, Vanda Azevedo, Luís Velez Lapão Acta Medica Portuguesa Vol 30, No 4 (2017) April

iv.    Cabo Verde Telemedicine Program: Initial Results of Nationwide Implementation Article (PDF Available) in Telemedicine and e-Health 20(11) · August 2014. Rifat Latifi, MD,1,2 Erion Dasho, MD,2 Ronald C. Merrell, MD,3Miguel Lopes, MD,4 Vanda Azevedo, MD,4 Flamur Bekteshi, BS,2 Kalterina L. Osmani, MS,2 Orland Qesteri, BS,2 Julian Kucani, MS,2 and Ismet Lecaj, MD2
1Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. 2International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation, Oracle, Arizona. 3Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia.  4Ministry of Health, Praia, Capo Verde. 1 Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation, Oracle, Arizona. Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia. Ministry of Health, Praia, Capo Verde.

In my professional career I came across several people who guided me and helped me to make the right decisions.

•  How can we support the next generation of women scientists?

Helping in training in specific areas, enabling distance training. Physicians in countries with few resources do not have possibilities or availability for scientific training. Care services occupy all the time of these technicians.