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Hypertension is a leading contributor to mortality in low‐middle income countries including Haiti, yet only 13% achieve blood pressure (BP) control. We evaluated the effectiveness of a community‐based hypertension management program delivered by community health workers (CHWs) and physicians among 100 adults with uncontrolled hypertension from the Haiti Cardiovascular Disease Cohort. The 12‐month intervention included: community follow‐up visits with CHWs (1 month if BP uncontrolled ≥140/90, 3 months otherwise) for BP measurement, lifestyle counseling, medication delivery, and dose adjustments. Primary outcome was mean change in systolic BP from enrollment to 12 months. Secondary outcomes were mean change in diastolic BP, BP control, acceptability, feasibility, and adverse events. We compared outcomes to 100 age, sex, and baseline BP matched controls with standard of care: clinic follow‐up visits with physicians every 3 months. We also conducted qualitative interviews with participants and providers. Among 200 adults, median age was 59 years, 59% were female. Baseline mean BP was 154/89 mmHg intervention versus 153/88 mmHg control. At 12 months, the difference in SBP change between groups was −12.8 mmHg (95%CI −6.9, −18.7) and for DBP −7.1 mmHg (95%CI −3.3, −11.0). BP control increased from 0% to 58.1% in intervention, and 28.4% in control group. Four participants reported mild adverse events. In mixed methods analysis, we found community‐based delivery addressed multiple participant barriers to care, and task‐shifting with strong teamwork enhanced medication adherence. Community‐based hypertension management using task‐shifting with CHWs and community‐based care was acceptable, and effective in reducing SBP, DBP, and increasing BP control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess how quality and availability of reproductive, maternal, neonatal (RMNH) services vary by district wealth and urban/rural status in Zambia.Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the Millennium Development Goal Acceleration Initiative baseline assessment of 117 health facilities in 9 districts. Quality was assessed through a composite score of 23 individual RMNH indicators, ranging from 0 to 1. Availability was evaluated by density of providers and facilities. Districts were divided into wealth groups based on the multidimensional poverty index (MPI). Relative inequity was calculated using the concentration index for quality indicators (positive favours rich, negative favours poor). Multivariable linear regression was performed for the dependent variable composite quality indicator using MPI, urban/rural, and facility level of care as independent variables.Results: 13 hospitals, 85 health centres and 19 health posts were included. The RMNH composite quality indicator was 0.64. Availability of facilities and providers was universally low. The concentration index for the composite quality indicator was -0.015 [-0.043, 0.013], suggesting no clustering to favour either rich or poor districts. Rich districts had the highest absolute numbers of health facilities and providers, but lowest numbers per facility per 1 000 000 population. Urban districts had slightly better service quality, but not availability. Using regression analysis, only facility level of care was significantly associated with quality outcome.Conclusions: Composite quality of RMNH services did not vary by district wealth, but was slightly higher in urban districts. The availability data suggest that the higher population in richer districts outpaces health infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multimorbidity is increasingly prevalent in lower- and middle-income countries. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has been inversely associated with multimorbidity but is understudied in lower- and middle-income countries. We report cardiovascular disease (CVD) multimorbidity in Haiti and its association with HRQOL., Methods and Results: We used data from the Haiti CVD Cohort, a population-based longitudinal cohort of adults. CVD multimorbidity was 2+ CVD risk factors/diseases at enrollment. HRQOL was measured using the Short Form-12, yielding physical component summary/mental component summary scores between 0 and 100, with higher scores indicating better HRQOL. We used linear regressions to assess the association between CVD multimorbidity and HRQOL and individual CVD comorbidities and HRQOL. Additionally, we examined sex and education as potential effect modifiers. Among 2,996 participants, the median age was 40 years (interquartile range [IQR], 27-55), 58.0% were women, and 70.3% earned <1 US dollar per day. CVD multimorbidity prevalence was 24.1%; compared with those without CVD multimorbidity, those with CVD multimorbidity were older (median age, 56.0 years [IQR, 47.0-53.0]) and women (70.5%). Adjusted models revealed CVD multimorbidity was inversely related to physical component summary (-2.7 [95% CI, -3.8 to -1.6]) and mental component summary (-1.0 [95% CI, -1.8 to -0.2]). Heart failure and hypertension showed the strongest CVD morbidities associated with poor HRQOL. In the interaction analysis, among men, CVD multimorbidity was associated with a 4.3-point lower physical component summary score. Among those with less education, CVD multimorbidity was associated with a 4.6-point lower physical component summary score than no CVD multimorbidity., Conclusions: Our data are among the first to describe HRQOL data with high CVD multimorbidity in a young population in urban Haiti, and CVD multimorbidity was associated with decreased HRQOL., Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03892265.