Urugoli Media
By Anne MUHIZA,
The Ministry of Health, the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) and AstraZeneca have today officially celebrated the expansion of the Healthy Heart Africa (HHA) programme to Rwanda. The launch took place at the Nyarugenge District Hospital in Kigali, in an event that saw the public receive free screening for hypertension and diabetes. PATH is the implementing partner for the HHA programme in Rwanda. Figures estimate that 15.9 percent of people in Rwanda have elevated blood pressure, with the majority of cases being uncontrolled. Kigali, Rwanda, 26 July, 2022.
Hypertension is a major cause of premature deaths globally. People living with hypertension have persistently elevated blood pressure, which results in damage to the hearti if not controlled and managed. The disease is also referred to as the ‘silent killer’ because it does not present with symptoms and people with high blood pressure are often unaware of it unless diagnosed. According to WHO estimates from 2016, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for 44 percent of total annual deaths in Rwanda.v The Rwanda nationwide non-communicable diseases STEPwise survey revealed that 15.9 percent of participants had elevated blood pressure. RBC further estimates that out of over one million people with hypertension, only 80,000 are enrolled at clinics, revealing a gap between diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Francois Uwinkindi, Non-Communicable Diseases Division Manager, Rwanda Biomedical Centre said; “It is not difficult to diagnose hypertension, and it can be treated with low-cost medicines and lifestyle changes, nevertheless there are significant gaps in the diagnosis and management of high blood pressure in Rwanda which needs to be addressed to reduce the burden of NCDs on our health systems. We welcome partnerships such as the Healthy Heart Africa programme which is committed to providing education and awareness of the disease for better prevention and control. It also embodies the principles of our National NCD strategy that encourages community action to increase early identification of ailments, and multisector collaboration to address illnesses such as hypertension.
Strategies put in place by the Ministry of Health, the RBC and other stakeholders in Rwanda are meant to take all the steps needed to prevent an avoidable burden of NCDs in the country. Speaking at the event, Dr. Daniel Ngamije, Minister of Health said, “Our current investment in preventing NCDs is aimed at saving future costs in treating advanced stages of diseasesv such as hypertension. We have continued to keep our NCD policies updated, setting in place plans such as the 2020-2025 National Strategy and Costed Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases. v This plan's main objective is to reduce NCD-related premature
mortality by 25% by 2025. It aims to implement an inclusive, equality-based access to healthcare strategy for the benefit of all people. v”
HHA is a multi-country programme currently implemented in nine countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Rwanda, and most recently, Nigeria.
Ashling Mulvaney, Vice President, Global Sustainability, Access to Healthcare, AstraZeneca said: “We are delighted to officially announce the Healthy Heart Africa programme in Rwanda in collaboration with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre and PATH. It builds on the remarkable effort that the Ministry of Health and RBC have invested to address the growing challenge of non-communicable diseases. HHA is an access to healthcare initiative that contributes to building resilient sustainable healthcare systems by training healthcare providers, providing education and awareness for NCD risk factors and equipping healthcare systems with the resources needed to diagnose and manage hypertension.”
In the effort to halt and reverse the prevalence of hypertension, collecting accurate data from countries is vital since it helps to build a true picture of the problem and informs stakeholders in developing counter measures.
“Our primary healthcare approach has always been people-centred and driven by data, and we will use this approach to our implementation to reach people where they live and work and link them to quality care for hypertension as part of our mission to reduce health inequalities,” said Helen McGuire, Global Programme Leader, Non-communicable Diseases at PATH. “We are excited to collaborate with HHA to bring hypertension care services to more people, and possibly impact future decision-making on hypertension policies through data collected via the programme.”
