Journal Article > EditorialFull Text
Glob Heart. 31 December 2019; Volume 15 (Issue 1); 57.; DOI:10.5334/gh.860
Webster R, Murphy A, Bygrave H, Ansbro É, Grobbee DE, et al.
Glob Heart. 31 December 2019; Volume 15 (Issue 1); 57.; DOI:10.5334/gh.860
HIGHLIGHTS
-- Despite clinical evidence of its effectiveness in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, uptake of fixed dose combination therapy (FDCs) for CVD has been poor.
-- A symposium was held bringing together stakeholders on this issue, including from academia, government and NGOs.
-- The conclusion made was that what is now needed to improve implementation of FDCs is country-specific health systems analyses to design appropriate implementation strategies.
-- Implementation strategies must look beyond listing on the WHO Essential Medicines List to consider approaches to improving FDC availability, accessibility, affordability, and adherence.
-- Strategies might include incorporation of FDCs into the WHO HEARTS technical package, simplified treatment and monitoring algorithms, decentralisation of medicine dispensing and task-sharing for treatment management.
-- Despite clinical evidence of its effectiveness in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, uptake of fixed dose combination therapy (FDCs) for CVD has been poor.
-- A symposium was held bringing together stakeholders on this issue, including from academia, government and NGOs.
-- The conclusion made was that what is now needed to improve implementation of FDCs is country-specific health systems analyses to design appropriate implementation strategies.
-- Implementation strategies must look beyond listing on the WHO Essential Medicines List to consider approaches to improving FDC availability, accessibility, affordability, and adherence.
-- Strategies might include incorporation of FDCs into the WHO HEARTS technical package, simplified treatment and monitoring algorithms, decentralisation of medicine dispensing and task-sharing for treatment management.
Journal Article > ReviewFull Text
Glob Heart. 12 April 2022; Volume 17 (Issue 1); 28.; DOI:http://doi.org/10.5334/gh.1082
Cohn J, Bygrave H, Roberts TR, Khan T, Ojji D, et al.
Glob Heart. 12 April 2022; Volume 17 (Issue 1); 28.; DOI:http://doi.org/10.5334/gh.1082
Hypertension is the most important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which are the leading global cause of death. Hypertension is under-diagnosed and under-treated in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Current algorithms for hypertension treatment are complex for the healthcare worker, limit decentralization, complicate procurement and often translate to a large pill burden for the person with hypertension. We summarize evidence supporting implementation of simple, algorithmic, accessible, non-toxic and effective (SAANE) algorithms to provide a feasible way to access and maintain quality care for hypertension. Implementation of these algorithms will enable task shifting to less specialised health care workers and lay cadres, provision of fixed dose combinations, consolidation of the market while retaining generic competition, simplification of laboratory requirements, and lowering costs for health systems and people who incur out of pocket expenses.