High blood pressure is often thought of as condition that affects older people, but it’s a common—and dangerous—complication for pregnant women. The new Learning Lab for Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy (HDP) in Harda, Madhya Pradesh—a collaboration between RTSL India and implementing partner Jhpiego—is a first-of-its-kind initiative that focuses on addressing hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, a critical but often overlooked contributor to maternal and cardiovascular health risks in India.
The Learning Lab equips Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (local primary health centers) to integrate maternal health and hypertension services. The model includes training and capacity building of frontline health providers, including medical officers, community health officers, and auxiliary nurse midwives; standard treatment protocols. availability of accurate blood pessure monitors and other diagnostic tools and structured referral and follow-up systems also promote consistent, high-quality blood pressure care during and after pregnancy.
The Learning Lab’s integrated approach aims to mitigate both immediate pregnancy-related risks and the long-term cardiovascular complications associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
Importantly, the initiative has been launched with strong support from local health authorities, ensuring government ownership and sustainability, and laying the groundwork for future scale-up across other regions.