Rural India Supporting Trust (RIST) and Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) are proud to announce their new partnership to support the Government of India and state governments’ initiative to improve effective treatment of high blood pressure and diabetes. The program forged through this collaboration will support the Government of India’s commitment to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.4: by 2030, reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one-third through prevention and treatment interventions. RIST and RTSL will support programs in 35 districts across five Indian states with the potential to support state efforts to provide care that prevents heart attacks, strokes, and other complications to millions of patients over three years.
Strengthening primary health care facilities to manage high blood pressure and diabetes
Every year, 2.8 million people in India die — and millions more are disabled — by heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and through simple, safe, and low-cost interventions, the severity of the disease and its resulting complications can be significantly reduced.
Primary health care facilities known as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM) are a transformative initiative of the Government of India. These facilities have the potential to provide effective and accessible care for patients with chronic diseases. Launched under the Government of India’s Ayushman Bharat Initiative, these centres play a crucial role in redefining primary health care with the vision of providing comprehensive, affordable and quality healthcare services to citizens across urban and rural areas. As the majority of hypertension cases are uncomplicated and can be easily treated at the primary healthcare level, supporting AAMs with best practices, skill enhancement, and other resources for hypertension and diabetes management — from accurate diagnosis to strategies for retaining patients in long-term care — will bolster comprehensive primary healthcare overall.
The new partnership between RIST and RTSL will strengthen health systems, improve service delivery, and support community engagement interventions at the primary care level. By building long-term capacity to deliver care for hypertension and other chronic conditions at AAMs, the program will contribute to the growth of the healthcare system through impactful and collaborative interventions.
“At RIST, we believe that access to quality healthcare is the right of every individual. Together with Resolve To Save Lives (RTSL), we hope to support and amplify efforts to identify and treat hypertension and cardiac diseases through systematic interventions. We are excited to collaborate with RTSL and are confident our collaboration will match the continued success they have witnessed globally in controlling hypertension and protecting public health.”
– Paul Glick, Executive Director, Rural India Supporting Trust
“The Government of India’s Ayushman Bharat Initiative is the most important health development I’ve seen in the 30 years I’ve worked with partners in India. It can save millions of lives by providing high-quality, affordable, Indian-made generic medications to control blood pressure to less than 140/90 mm Hg. We are delighted to partner with RIST to support the Government of India’s program to strengthen AAMs and bring lifesaving care closer to communities.”
– Dr Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives and former Director, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention