Regional Ministry of Health representatives and health managers gathered in St. Lucia for the first Caribbean HEARTS Initiative workshop signaling a strong commitment of 17 countries and territories to the implementation of WHO/PAHO flagship Initiative for improving cardiovascular health.
The program, for the week of May 15th to 19th, 2023 was designed to present Ministry officials and health managers with a robust agenda that included: Cardiovascular risk management training for St. Lucia’s healthcare staff; improving clinical management in the context of COVID-19 through HEARTS implementation; and developing a monitoring framework for NCDs for improved monitoring and evaluation.
Management through HEARTS Implementation in the Context of COVID-19 (16-18 May)
Improving CVD Clinical
Aim
The overall purpose of the workshop was to improve cardiovascular risk management in the context of COVID-19 while strengthening NCD surveillance using the HEARTS initiative for improved NCD management in primary care.
Objectives
1. To facilitate discussions among the countries of the Eastern Caribbean Countries and additional Caribbean countries implementing HEARTS allowing for the sharing of best practices and strategies for overcoming challenges.
2. To train focal points to lead the development and enhancement of the HEARTS clinical pathway and facilitate the roll-out and implementation of all elements of the technical package, including the hypertension control drivers and all the new tools developed to accelerate the implementation.
3. To develop optimal monitoring frameworks for HEARTS within the wider NCDs Surveillance in all ECC countries and identify appropriate tools to assist in surveillance.
4. To develop/update a plan and a Monitoring Framework for NCDs for the ECC countries.
Noncommunicable Diseases Surveillance Workshop(18-19 May)
Aim
The purpose of this one day and half section of the workshop for Caribbean Countries was to strengthen national capacity on surveillance to monitor NCDs.
Objectives
1. To review the Monitoring Framework for NCDs and identify targets and indicators to develop a national monitoring framework for NCDs.
2. To review the tools available to monitor NCDs at the Healthcare Facilities – Primary Care Level.
3. To review and identify national capacity to monitor NCDs at the Primary Care Level and promote the exchange of experiences among countries.
4. To identify strategies to improve countries’ capacity to monitor NCDs.
Meeting format
The workshop focused on three main areas: 1) Monitoring Tools, 2) Current status and exchange of experiences, and 3) identification of strategies to improve national capacity to monitor NCDs.
Expected results achieved
1. Information for the development of the National Monitoring Framework for NCDs reviewed and identified.
2. The NCDs Healthcare Facilities Indicators for Primary Care Level reviewed to be implemented at the country level.
3. National capacity to monitor NCDs reviewed, and strategies identified to improve countries capacity to monitor NCDs.
Opening Ceremony
Moderator: Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, Chief Medical Officer
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Welcome.
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Ms. Jenny Daniel, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs
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Remarks.
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Dr Amalia Del Riego, PAHO/WHO Representative, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries
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Feature Address: HEARTS in St Lucia: Strengthening Primary Care for Advancing NCD Management.
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The Hon. Moses Jn. Baptiste, Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs
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Session 1
Presentation: ‘HEARTS in the Americas: from Concept to Action’
Moderator: Taraleen Malcolm
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Welcome.
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Pedro Ordunez and Natalia Parra
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PRESENTATION: Innovations for improving better hypertension and cardiovascular disease risk management in primary care
Making the HEARTS Vision a Reality
Overview of HEARTS implementation at national, sub-national and local levels
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Facilitators and challenges. Gloria Giraldo.
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New tools (Virtual courses, HEARTS App, ESTIMA tool, ENLACE). Yenny Rodriguez (Virtual)
PRESENTATIONS:
- Main facilitators and challenges to implementation
- New tools (Virtual courses, HEARTS App, ESTIMA tool, ENLACE)
Session 2
Implementation Successes
Moderators: Taraleen Malcolm and Natalia Parra
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Panel Discussion: Best Practices.
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Guyana
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Trinidad & Tobago
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St. Lucia
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PRESENTATION: HEARTS Evolution: From Modules to Drivers
Active Pause
Making the Impact
Hypertension control drivers: Concept and evidence. Jeffrey Brettler and Gloria Giraldo 30 min
PRESENTATION: Hypertension Control Drivers: Concept and Evidence
Session 3
Breakout Sessions: Implementation strategies at health care center
Session 1
Deep Dive: Clinical Pathway (Pt. 1)
Moderator: Pedro Ordunez
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HEARTS Clinical Pathway: the heart of HEARTS
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Donald DiPette
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PRESENTATIONS:
- Hypertension Clinical Pathway: HEARTS blueprint for the detection and treatment of hypertension
Deep Dive: Clinical Pathway (Pt. 2): Sharing countries’ Experiences
Moderators: Gloria Giraldo and Jeffrey Brettler
BREAKOUT GROUPS
PRESENTATIONS:
Session 2
Moderator: Pedro Ordunez
Quality Improvement and HEARTS Monitoring and Evaluation Platform
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Angelo Gamarra
PRESENTATION: Continous Quality Improvement Methodology
Using scorecards an evaluation tool integral to the implementation of the Clinical Pathway
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Jeffrey Brettler
Active Pause
Moderator: Gloria Giraldo and Taraleen Malcolm
Hearts App for Systems of Monitoring and Evaluation:
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Angelo Gamarra and Libardo Rodriguez
PRESENTATION: HEARTS Monitoring and Evaluation System
Session 1
HEARTS and Diabetes
Moderator: Karen Roberts
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Integration of hypertension and diabetes management: Don DiPette
PRESENTATION: Integration of Diabetes and Hypertension in HEARTS: Rationale
Panel Discussion: HEARTS Way forward
Moderator: Taraleen Malcolm and Gloria Giraldo
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Allana Best, Michael Pereira, Barry Ward, Ritesh Dhanpat
Launch of Regional Webinar in Recognition of World Hypertension Day
Session 2
Monitoring Framework for NCDs for improved monitoring and Evaluation
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Roberta Caixeta, Carmen Antini, and Gloria Giraldo
PRESENTATIONS:
- NCD Surveillance Framework
- Agenda Objectives - Monitoring NCDs in the Caribbean - 18-19 May 2023
- The NCD Roadmap 2023-2030 for the Global Action Plan on the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013-2030
- The importance of data from Primary Health Care Facilities - Roberta Caixeta
- NCD facility-based monitoring - Dr Farshad Farzadfar
Final note:
All the articles cited during the workshop can be found in the PAHO Journal of Public Health Special Issue on HEARTS: https://www.paho.org/journal/en/special-issues/hearts-americas
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