Colombia leads on reducing salt-related diseases
One in three Colombians has high blood pressure raising their risk of heart disease, stroke and other non-communicable diseases. One major cause is eating too much salt—Colombians consume on average more than double the WHO recommended amount each day. In a new video by RTSL and NCD Alliance, Colombia shares how they’ve teamed up with civil society organizations […]
2024 World Hypertension League Organizational Excellence Award
The RTSL team, along with our partners at MoHFW INDIA, ICMRDELHI and WHO, received the 2024 WHL Organizational Excellence Award in Population Global Hypertension Control for the successful implementation of HEARTS in India. Congratulations to all involved in this collaborative effort that is actively improving heart health and saving lives.
Introducing Resolve to Save Lives India
Resolve to Save Lives is now registered in India allowing for more efficient program support. Located in New Delhi, the India office looks forward to continued progress in hypertension management, trans fat elimination and sodium reduction.
New video guide for fast and simple user testing for healthcare software
RTSL’s new video shows how to user test health software. A monthly cycle of testing software with end users is necessary to build good software that drives program improvements. The video is intended to help build capacity on the ground, and to support organizations in their user-testing efforts. Learn more about user-centered design in healthcare in Resolve to Save Lives’ […]
Full launch: Designing digital tools with health care workers at the center – webinar & video
For the full launch of their new digital tools playbook, the Digital team at Resolve to Save Lives released a new video featuring Dr. Tom Frieden and cohosted a webinar with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on designing digital health tools with the end user at the center. This health care worker-first approach gets results: […]
The Simple app manages more than 4 million patients—and health workers love it
The digital team at Resolve to Save Lives helped build the Simple app, which now treats more than 4 million patients in 4 countries. In a new article for Sage Publications, Resolve to Save Lives and the DHIS2 team detail a participatory approach to app development that co-designs the information system with the nurses and doctors who will […]
WHO’s 2nd Edition Sodium Benchmark’s report
Just ahead of salt awareness week, WHO released its second edition of the global sodium benchmarks, “Global sodium benchmarks for different food categories“, detailing efforts to reduce global sodium intake by 30% by 2025. The report release was supported by a webinar that highlighted lessons learned from the first report, current progress on global salt […]
NIH webinar highlights five years of promoting heart health at RTSL
The Cardiovascular Health initiative at Resolve to Save Lives participated in a presentation for the U.S. National Institute of Health’s HERO series. The webinar discussed the progress made over the last five years to improve heart health in low- and middle-income countries and served as an opportunity to showcase RTSL’s global health equity research.
Dr. Frieden on Rebuilding Trust in Public Health
Trust in public health and the government has dwindled amid the pandemic, with stark partisan divides deepening the issue. In an op ed published in STAT News, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives Dr. Tom Frieden outlines three actions that must be prioritized to restore trust.
On-demand mobile training with health workers in Nigeria
Health care workers play a critical role in improving the diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure. A new pilot study published in BMC Health Services Research evaluates a self-paced, case-based, mobile-optimized online training to diagnose and manage hypertension among health workers in Nigeria. On-demand mobile digital hypertension training effectively increases knowledge of hypertension management. […]
Salt reduction progress and lessons learned from Thailand
Sodium reduction is not only life-saving, it also saves costs. In a new article for The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia, we join the Thai Low Salt Network and others to detail recent accomplishments and lessons learned advocating for the nationwide reduction of salt intake throughout Thailand.
Sri Lanka program wins 2023 Quality Improvement Achievement award
The hypertension program in Sri Lanka received the 2023 Quality Improvement Achievement award issued by Resolve to Save Lives for their work improving medication titration rates which helped result in an increase in the number of patients with their blood pressure controlled. “Treatment inertia” is the failure of health care providers to initiate or intensify […]
Point of care testing in Peru shows promise for non-communicable diseases
Point of care testing devices are easy to use, can provide quick and accurate results within minutes, and can be used in many different settings, including rural or remote. A new study explored ways to increase point-of-care testing use for non-communicable diseases, given its many advantages, utilizing co-creation workshops attended by community members, primary healthcare […]
Treatment protocols control high blood pressure at scale in India
A new research paper investigated the effectiveness of various medication protocols in Punjab and Maharashtra, India to increase control rates among patients with hypertension. The researchers found that simple drug- and dose-specific protocols help improve hypertension treatment in the primary care setting, especially when starting with a single low-cost drug such as amlodipine 5mg and escalating with the same or another […]
JHPIEGO webinar on controlling high blood pressure through HEARTS
A recent webinar by JHPIEGO and Resolve to Save Lives discusses the importance of partnerships to scale up hypertension treatment. The webinar was attended by more than 100 JHPIEGO staff and presented an opportunity to explore how WHO’s HEARTS initiative can be integrated into primary health care strengthening grants.
How much does it cost to treat high blood pressure?
Studies in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Mexico, Thailand and the Philippines show that implementing the WHO HEARTS package is an affordable way to improve blood pressure control and save lives.
New tool helps governments combat nutrients of concern
Global Health Advocacy Incubator, supported by partners Resolve to Save Lives, Vital Strategies, and the O’Neill Institute, published a new resource designed to help governments shape a healthier food environment: Nutrient Profile Models: A valuable tool for developing healthy food policies. The accompanying blog and webinar dive into what nutrient profile models are and how […]
Nepal bans trans fat
Nepal’s new legislation limits use of toxic trans fat within the country’s food supply and will help save 2,200 lives each year and reduce the overall burden of premature deaths from trans fat within the South East Asia region. Congratulations to Nepal, whose work brings the world closer to achieving the WHO goal of global trans fat elimination […]
Hypertension can be the next global health win
Hypertension is the leading cause of death worldwide, killing more than 10 million people each year, but it remains neglected. In an essay in the Washington Post, Dr. Tom Frieden calls attention to the need for increased focus and funding to prevent and treat the deadly condition.
New playbook: Designing an optimal digital tool for hypertension and other long-term treatment programs
Based on our digital team’s experience developing and refining the Simple app, our new playbook offers step-by-step guidance for program implementers to create or adapt an effective digital —one that health care workers actually like, and that can improve program monitoring, management and outcomes.
Celebrating the progress and partnerships that defined 2023
RTSL’s 2023: Year in Review is our first-ever digital annual report, looking back at a remarkable year of saving lives and making the world safer from epidemics in 2023. The HEARTS program for hypertension control now treats more than 19 million patients for the world’s deadliest condition. The trans fat elimination policies passed in 2023 […]
WHO celebrates progress against toxic trans fat
For the first time, WHO awarded validation certificates to five countries that have best practice trans fat elimination policies in place, supported by adequate monitoring and enforcement systems. Congratulations to Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Thailand for their groundbreaking work helping to rid the world of this invisible killer.
Salt substitutes can help treat high blood pressure
In a new article published in the American Heart Association’s scientific journal Hypertension, we joined international experts in the call to include salt substitutes in the treatment for high blood pressure. Salt substitutes reduce risk for heart attack and stroke while also adding much-needed potassium to the diet.
Healthier meals in schools throughout Karnataka, India
In partnership with Resolve to Save Lives, Vision for Social Development piloted a program in Karnataka, India in November 2021 that successfully reduced the amount of salt added to school meals provided under the PM POSHAN Scheme (previously ‘Mid-day Meal’ Scheme ). The successful program will now be expanded statewide, giving children across Karnataka access […]
Eliminating artificial trans-fat in Africa could save 250,000 lives over the next 25 years
In Africa, only three countries have implemented best-practice policies that ban artificial trans fat, a harmful food additive. In Ventures Africa, Drs. Jean Kaseya and Tom Frieden highlight the important collaboration between Africa CDC and Resolve to Save Live to support African countries to eliminate trans fat, and call for immediate action.
Tackling Pakistan’s leading cause of death: heart disease
A new hypertension program in Pakistan will help tackle the country’s leading cause of death: heart disease. In collaboration with Resolve to Save Lives, Global Health Strategists and Implementers will use evidence-based, affordable, scalable approaches for controlling hypertension at the primary care level.
Lessons and action for a trans fat free Africa
In partnership with Africa CDC and the WHO Regional Office for Africa, we cohosted an official Conference for Public Health in Africa side event on trans fat elimination. Featuring speakers from Cameroon, South Africa, Botswana, and Tanzania, ‘Lessons and action for a trans fat free Africa’ highlighted promising support for trans fat elimination policies, including […]
Beating the world’s leading killer with Simple solutions
In just a few short years, the Bangladesh Hypertension Control Initiative has achieved impressive blood pressure control rates, and our Simple app has played an important role in this progress. Learn more about how data from Simple has helped our partners– the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Non-Communicable Disease Control Program and the National […]
Bangladesh strengthens primary care, cuts back high blood pressure by 50%
Since Resolve to Save Lives began working in Bangladesh in 2018, the country has seen a nearly 20-fold increase in patients on life-saving treatment for high blood pressure and nearly tripled its hypertension control rate (from 20% to nearly 60%).
Protecting children from excess salt in Nepal
More children in Nepal will soon have access to healthy foods with the commitment of three municipalities in the Kathmandu region—Tokha, Thimi, and Kageshwori—to pass nutrition standards, including limits on sodium content, in schools and public facilities. This work, supported by Resolve to Save Lives, builds on progress in the Budhanilkantha municipality, which adopted a […]