Background

Globally, 1.4 billion people suffer from hypertension, and by 2025, it’s predicted to affect 1.6 billion people, nearly 29% of the world’s population. Hypertension causes 7.5 million deaths worldwide, contributing to 12.8% of total deaths. Additionally, it leads to 57 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), or 3.7% of global DALYs.

In Pakistan, hypertension is a major health issue. A 2010 national health survey found that 33% of adults aged 45 and 18% of all adults had hypertension. Alarmingly, only 12.5% of people with hypertension had it under control, and knowledge about the condition is insufficient, particularly among those with uncontrolled hypertension.

A significant challenge in Pakistan is the lack of a standardized approach to treating hypertension across the healthcare system, especially in the public sector. The country faces limited resources to manage complications such as stroke and heart attacks. Therefore, early detection and treatment through community screening are crucial. This is where Getz Pharma’s PREACH (Prevention, Management, and Control of Hypertension) project comes into play, aiming to shift focus from tertiary hospitals to primary care and promote preventive care.

Goal

The goal of the PREACH project is to reduce the burden of hypertension from tertiary care hospitals to primary care facilities and from specialists to general practitioners (GPs).

Objectives

The primary objectives of the PREACH project include:

• Educate healthcare providers using a “train the trainer” model based on national hypertension guidelines.
• Educate individuals and communities about the importance of home blood pressure monitoring.
• Encourage people to self-screen and refer themselves to healthcare practitioners.
• Create a comprehensive registry to track hypertension cases.
• Advocate for hypertension management to be part of the essential primary healthcare package.

PREACH Implementation Plan – Multi-Sectorial Strategy

• Develop a standardized curriculum for training healthcare practitioners. This will include senior consultants, family physicians, and general practitioners across Pakistan. Training will be accompanied by impact assessments to measure the effectiveness of the program.
• Conduct studies to identify simple methods for hypertension diagnosis, such as home blood pressure monitoring. A nationwide awareness campaign will inform the public about hypertension screening and self-monitoring.
• Engage with government officials to include the PREACH project in national health programs and secure funding. Advocacy efforts will also push for the inclusion of hypertension in the primary healthcare package.
• Build a robust data collection system to track hypertension cases, analyze trends, and support evidence-based healthcare decisions.

Socio-Ecological Framework

The PREACH project is designed with a Socio-Ecological model, which considers all societal factors affecting hypertension. The focus is on empowering individuals to monitor their blood pressure at home and self-refer to trained practitioners. At the same time, GPs will be trained to ensure standardized treatment in the community.

The project aims to build a national hypertension registry, which will serve as a valuable tool for policymakers to create targeted strategies for hypertension prevention. Additionally, strong partnerships with policymakers will advocate for including hypertension management in Pakistan’s essential healthcare package for non-communicable diseases.

Conclusion

By addressing the issue of hypertension through a collaborative, multi-sector approach, the PREACH project aims to reduce the burden of hypertension in Pakistan, shifting care from tertiary to primary healthcare and from specialists to general practitioners. This strategy will not only improve treatment but also focus on prevention, early detection, and community-level awareness.

For more information, read the full article here.

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