National Department of Health officials met with representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), scientific, medical, and academic communities to advance the implementation of the America’s National Arterial Hypertension Control Plan / HEARTS Initiative of Americas. improve primary care blood pressure control rates in the affected population.
The purpose of the meeting was to share the progress of the initiative, evaluate and approve the components of the clinical pathway, and articulate the intake of antihypertensive drugs with the Remediar Program.
“I have no doubt that the protocol we implement will be of excellent technical quality,” said Nicolás Haeberer, national director of the Comprehensive Approach to NCDs at the National Ministry of Health, emphasizing the importance of these areas. The invitation is to reach a different, more comprehensive approach.”
Natalia Vensentini, coordinator of the National Program for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases, emphasized the importance of including the HEARTS initiative in the Comprehensive Non-Communicable Diseases Plan (NCD) established by the National Directorate for Non-Communicable Diseases Comprehensive Approach. Infectious Diseases (DNAIENT) and recently presented at the Federal Health Council (COFESA).
During the meeting, some axes of the intervention, such as the protocol proposed by PAHO and its adaptation to local reality, as well as the components of the clinical pathway were evaluated; proposed therapeutic diagnostic algorithm for hypertensive persons and high cardiovascular risk; pharmacological follow-up protocol (recommended drug combination in four consecutive steps); Articulation with REMEDIAR to promote drug uptake in centers participating in the initiative and defining periodicity in the follow-up of patients starting treatment (drug titration).
Argentina joined the HEARTS initiative in 2018 and was institutionalized through the National Ministry of Health’s National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Arterial Hypertension. The province of La Rioja, with an estimated population of 388,386 and a special coverage of 38.1% by the public health system, was chosen to begin the implementation. HEARTS Initiative started to be implemented in 5 primary health care centers.
The goals of the plan are to increase the detection of people with arterial hypertension (HTA) who are unaware of their condition by conducting an active search in the community; train primary health care teams to provide adequate approach and follow-up to hypertensive persons and to promote their self-care; ensure the provision of essential resources, supplies and medicines for adequate treatment and effective control of hypertension in vulnerable populations to achieve adequate control (blood pressure values <140/90 mmHg) and to monitor the effect of the plan for: process indicators and outcomes.
For the coming year, it is expected to continue working with the provinces that are improving the strategy implementation process: Buenos Aires, La Rioja, Mendoza, Chubut, Neuquén and Río Negro; and those who have expressed their willingness to do so, such as Córdoba, Tucumán and Jujuy. Cross-sectoral meetings with the rest of the sectors will also continue to promote compliance with the strategy and to incorporate combined therapies into REMEDIAR vaemecum.
Representatives of the National Directorate of Primary Care and Community Health, the Health Services Inspectorate, the National Pharmaceuticals, Food and Medical Technology Administration (ANMAT), and PAMI attended the meeting.
Also representing PAHO are Andrés Rosende, Sebastián Laspiur and Gonzalo Rodriguez; Members and provincial references of scientific and medical societies specializing in arterial hypertension, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, and family medicine. Members of Arturo Jauretche National University and Cuyo National University also attended.
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