Health Systems Readiness to Manage the Hypertension Epidemic in Primary Health Care Facilities in the Western Cape, South Africa: A Study Protocol.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Developing countries are undergoing a process of epidemiological transition from infectious to noncommunicable diseases, described by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon as ''a public health emergency in slow motion." One of the most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa is hypertension, which is a complex chronic condition often referred to as a "silent killer" and key contributor to the development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Hypertensive patients in this setting are estimated to increase from 74.7 million in 2008 to 125.5 million in 2025, a 68% increase. However, there is an important gap between emerging high-level policies and recommendations, and the near-absence of practical guidance and experience delivering long-term medical care for n

SUBMITTER: Deuboue Tchialeu RI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4791525 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature