Blood pressure measures done right
Faulty BP readings can put lives at risk. New evidence supports this method for accuracy.
We optimized DHIS2 for busy hypertension and diabetes programs
The new version of DHIS2 is a free, open-source software that integrates hypertension and diabetes care for large-scale NCD programs.
Resolve to Save Lives at CARDIOBASE 2024
The RTSL India team, including Dr. Amit, Dr. Manika, and Dr. Swati, recently joined a panel discussion on ‘Unhealthy Diets and Cardiovascular Disease’ at CARDIOBASE 2024, moderated by Dr. Murugunathan. They discussed RTSL’s work on promoting cardiovascular health globally and in India, emphasizing the importance of salt reduction, trans fat elimination, and healthier oil adoption. […]
Supporting consistent care with consistent communication
Missed appointments are a common barrier to keeping high blood pressure under control, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Staying in touch with patients through mobile text message reminders is an effective strategy for keeping patients in care, especially for patients overdue for a health visit.
New policies in Nigeria will help save lives from heart disease
In partnership with Resolve to Save Lives, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare unveiled a bold new strategy to strengthen collaboration toward preventing premature deaths from heart disease and other non-communicable diseases, which currently account for 27% of all deaths in Nigeria—close to 447,800 lives every year. Government officials, health care professionals, researchers, […]
New study encourages health care closer to home
Patients with chronic conditions shouldn’t have to travel long distances to specialized hospitals for care. Effective treatment for people living with hypertension, diabetes and other chronic conditions must be consistent and accessible.
New heart health project launches in India
Project SPANDAN, a transformative initiative that aims to enhance hypertension and diabetes control across primary healthcare facilities in Madhya Pradesh, India, was formally launched today by Ms Priyanka Das, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Government of Madhya Pradesh. In partnership with Resolve to Save Lives and JHPIEGO, Project SPANDAN will strengthen comprehensive primary health care […]
WHO’s HEARTS package significantly improves high blood pressure control
A new trial published in BMJ’s Heart Journal shows that the WHO-HEARTS technical package, developed and championed with support from Resolve to Save Lives, significantly improves high blood pressure treatment and control compared with current practice. This trial conducted in rural Bangladesh is the first to rigorously assess the complete HEARTS package—a set of practical, cost-effective strategies for […]
New study shows treating hypertension in primary care works better, especially for women
Our experts in India demonstrate that patient retention and adherence improve significantly when treatment for hypertension happens in community care facilities—especially for women.
Conference talk shows how DHIS2 app achieves real-world results
At the 2024 DHIS2 conference in Oslo, DHIS2, FHI 360 and RTSL showed how a user-centered approach to DHIS2 Android app development achieved real-world results in Nigeria and Central Asia.
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 […]
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.
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. […]
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.
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.
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 […]
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%).
Introducing Resolve to Save Lives Ethiopia
Resolve to Save Lives is now registered in Ethiopia, allowing for more efficient program support. Located in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopia office looks forward to continued progress in hypertension management, trans fat elimination, epidemic prevention and emergency response.
Việt Nam’s fight against a silent killer
WHO’s new Global Hypertension report highlights the progress Việt Nam has made against hypertension, but there is more to do, write Angela Pratt, WHO Representative, Vietnam, and our Senior Vice President for Cardiovascular Health Renu Garg.
Five years of HEARTS
Alongside the WHO Global Hypertension report, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) published a new report on the first five years of the Global HEARTS Initiative, a partnership between the WHO, Resolve to Save Lives, and the governments of 32 low- or middle-income countries. HEARTS programs work for hypertension patients, and we […]
First WHO report details devastating impact of hypertension and ways to stop it
In partnership with the World Health Organization and Bloomberg Philanthropies, we launched the first-ever Global Report on Hypertension at a satellite event alongside the United Nations General Assembly in New York.