Join us on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT—Washington, D.C. time) for the webinar "Primary Health Care at the Heart of Hypertension Control in the Americas", organized by PAHO's HEARTS in the Americas Initiative to observe World Hypertension Day 2025. Hypertension is treatable with simple, safe, and affordable care; that's why PAHO leads HEARTS in the Americas—a regionwide initiative that empowers primary healthcare teams through standardized treatment protocols, team-based care, and strong monitoring systems. HEARTS is already transforming care and saving lives. To date, 33 countries are committed to implementing the initiative, with 10 achieving national scale. More than 7,200 clinics are delivering better care to millions—but many communities are still being left behind.
This World Hypertension Day, let’s close the gap. Let’s make hypertension control a top priority. Join us for this special webinar.
Together, let’s implement HEARTS, measure accurately, treat effectively—and help people live longer, healthier lives.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
- DATE: Thursday, May 15, 2025
- TIME: 10:00 a.m. (Washington, D.C., or EDT) [See the bottom of this page for schedules in other cities]
- LANGUAGES: English and Spanish with simultaneous translation.
- REGISTER: https://paho-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MuGbGe4zSVC0kbnUmUl4ZA#/registration
AGENDA
Moderators:
- Pedro Ordunez, MD, PhD – PAHO, HEARTS in the Americas
- Kenneth Connell, MD, PhD – University of the West Indies
Agenda:
- Welcome & Introduction to World Hypertension Day
Pedro Ordunez & Kenneth Connell- HEARTS in the Americas: The Numbers That Matter
- Expanding Team-Based Care with HEARTS in the Americas
Vilma Irazola, Irmgardt Alicia Wellmann, Matias Villatoro. - HEARTS Pharmacy: Integrating Pharmacists into Primary Care
Emily Ridley, Stephanie Gysel, Carolina Neira Ojeda - HEARTS Quality: Policy, Evaluation, and a New Virtual Course
Esteban Londoño & Mariana Rodríguez - Special Announcements
CONTEXT
Hypertension is the world’s leading killer. It causes heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, worsens diabetes, and is a major contributor to dementia. In the Americas, cardiovascular disease claims more than 2.2 million lives each year—that’s over 6,000 people every single day.
While healthy lifestyles—staying active, eating fresh foods, reducing salt—are essential for prevention, they’re not enough. Nearly 4 in 10 adults in the region have hypertension, and one-third don’t even know it. Among those diagnosed, only 60% have their blood pressure controlled.
TIME IN OTHER CITIES
- 7:00 a.m. – Los Angeles, Vancouver
- 8:00 a.m. – Belmopan, Guatemala City, Managua, Mexico City, San José (CR), San Salvador, Tegucigalpa
- 9:00 a.m. – Bogotá, Panama City, Kingston, Lima
- 10:00 a.m. – Bridgetown, Caracas, Georgetown, Havana, La Paz, Quito, Washington D.C., Port of Spain, Port-au-Prince, Nassau, Ottawa, San Juan, Santo Domingo
- 11:00 a.m. – Asunción, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Brasilia, Montevideo, Paramaribo
- 4:00 p.m. – Geneva, Madrid
For other cities, please check the local time on this link.