This Global Heart publication, part of the journal’s “Lessons from the Field” series, documents a quality improvement initiative that made blood pressure screening part of routine care at six primary health care facilities. Technical experts at Resolve to Save Lives co-authored the article with the Ethiopian ministry of health and local partners.
What the article covers
- Why routine screening matters: An estimated 11 million people in Ethiopia live with high blood pressure, and fewer than half know they have it.
- How the initiative worked: Facilities began measuring every adult’s blood pressure at every visit, whatever the reason for the visit.
- What changed: Between April 2024 and February 2025, monthly screening of adults rose from 41% to 80%, and monthly enrollments in the hypertension program more than tripled.
- What comes next: Ethiopia is now scaling the approach to program facilities across the country.
Who it’s for
Ministries of health, program managers, and implementing partners looking for a practical model to improve hypertension detection in primary care.
