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Abstract Background The steep increase in knee arthroplasties in lower- and middle-income countries has increased demand for personalised rehabilitation care. Technology-based rehabilitation programs offer potential to replace or augment conventional face-to-face rehabilitation for providing continuum of care. We aimed to systematically develop a theory, evidence-driven, contextualised, and user-centred mobile health platform for people undergoing knee arthroplasty to facilitate monitoring progress during rehabilitation. Methods We followed the UK Medical Research Council’s framework and adopted a behaviour design thinking approach, consisting of five steps; (1) conduct multiple literature reviews and cross-sectional surveys to determine the needs and problems experienced during the rehabilitation phase by healthcare professionals and individuals with replaced knees, (2) identify target behaviours along with barriers and facilitators, integrated within the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) framework, (3) identify intervention functions and components, behaviour change techniques, and features for the mobile application, selected after discussions with orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists and behavioural experts, (4) develop a prototype application for end-users, and a web-based platform for healthcare professionals, and (5) pilot test the intervention for end-users’ feedback on usability of the application and to identify possible strategies for implementing the intervention package. Results Using the COM-B model, education, training, persuasion, enablement, and modelling were chosen as intervention functions for improving adherence to exercise protocol during early-phase of rehabilitation. The application featured five interlinked components; education, training, goal setting and self-management, communication, and a personalized therapy plan utilising 13 behaviour change techniques. An education booklet, exercise videos, text messaging, video consultation, and a digital tool for measuring range of motion were incorporated into the application. Feedback on the interactive prototype and education material was sought from ten patient volunteers and a physiotherapist. Pilot testing in a convenient sample with broad eligibility criteria (n = 30) indicated importance of digital literacy and dedicated time for remote consultation by healthcare provider within the existing clinical work. Overall, the intervention was well received and valued by the end users. Conclusion This paper demonstrates the development of a contextualised digital behavioural intervention grounded in behavioural theory and evidence from literature to improve end-user’s engagement with rehabilitation protocols after knee arthroplasty in lower- and middle-income country context. Trial registration Study registered prospectively (on 16 February 2023) at Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2023/02/049792).

IntroductionPerinatal and maternal mortality rates remain high in India compared to global levels, and there is significant heterogeneity in outcomes across Indian states. Many mobile health (mHealth) interventions have been developed to improve maternal and infant health outcomes in India, however it is unclear how mHealth can best support women in this culturally and resource diverse setting. Therefore, we aimed to identify mHealth interventions targeting women and their families in the perinatal period in India, identify barriers and facilitators to their uptake, and future research directions.MethodsThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines for scoping reviews was used for study selection and screening and the mHealth evidence reporting and assessment checklist was used for evaluating mHealth interventions. PubMed, CINAHL, Global Health, and ACM digital library were searched for records up to 2 April 2023. Studies were included where women who were pregnant, planning for a child, or in the 12 months after delivery, and their families, living in India received health advice via a technological medium.Results1,783 records were screened, 29 met the inclusion criteria, describing 22 different mHealth interventions. Most frequent behavioural targets for interventions were breastfeeding, antenatal nutrition, and infant healthcare. Most interventions communicated to women through one-way communication methods, most frequently SMS. Participants reported positive views of mHealth, reported facilitators included group communication, use of non-maternal informative content, and a pictorial information format. Reported barriers included household responsibilities, technical difficulties, difficulty accessing a phone and difficulty understanding, or misinterpreting messages.DiscussionWe conclude that mHealth interventions are acceptable to women in India during the perinatal period. However, current interventions lack evidence of long term behavioural change and fail to report on features important in sustainability and scalability, namely network infrastructure, data security and interoperability. We propose the need for a framework to understand existing cultural beliefs and support structures to avoid early intervention failure. Future research should investigate multimodal mHealth interventions for behavioural change, identify the appropriate frequency and format of mHealth messages, and address access limitations such as shared mobile phone ownership, and illiteracy rates.

Abstract Background While previously considered a transient condition, with no lasting adverse impact, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is now a well‐established risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The risk of developing T2DM appears to be particularly high in the first few years after childbirth, providing a compelling case for early intervention. This review provides an up‐to‐date systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess the effectiveness of interventions to reduce incidence of T2DM in women with a recent history of GDM. Methods The search was conducted on October 20, 2023 with an annual surveillance planned for the next 5 years to maintain a living systematic review. The inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials of any type in women within 5 years of GDM‐complicated pregnancy that reported outcomes of T2DM diagnosis or measures of dysglycemia with a follow‐up of at least 12 months. Results Seventeen studies met our inclusion criteria and have been included in this review. There were 3 pharmacological and 14 lifestyle interventions. Intervention was not associated with significant reduction in the primary outcome of T2DM (risk ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43–1.41; p = 0.41; I2 = 79%) compared with the control group (placebo or usual care). However, meta‐analysis of the four studies reporting hazard ratios suggested a reduction in diabetes incidence (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI: 0.48–0.97; p = 0.03; I2 = 31%). Conclusion This review provides equivocal evidence about the efficacy of interventions to reduce the risk of T2DM in women within 5 years of GDM‐complicated pregnancy and highlights the need for further studies, including pharmacotherapy.

BackgroundNoncommunicable diseases (NCDs), particularly diabetes and chronic kidney diseases, pose a significant health burden in Thailand, especially among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. The existing primary health care system faces challenges in providing optimal care for NCDs due to inadequate primary care workforce. The SMARThealth program offers a technology-based solution to enhance NCD management through task-sharing among nonphysician health care workers. ObjectiveThis study aims to adapt and implement the SMARThealth Diabetes program in rural Thailand to improve diabetes management. The main objectives are to (1) adapt, validate, and integrate the SMARThealth Diabetes program for improving the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus at the primary health care level; and (2) to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the SMARThealth Diabetes program in rural communities of Thailand. MethodsA pragmatic, type 2 hybrid effectiveness or implementation, parallel-group cluster randomized controlled trial of 12 months duration and involving 51 subdistrict health offices in rural communities of Kamphaeng Phet province, Thailand, will be conducted. The intervention arm will receive the SMARThealth Diabetes program, including workforce restructuring, clinical decision support system, and continuous performance monitoring, while the control arm will continue with usual practice. Data will be collected using the SMARThealth platform and will be stored on a server in Thailand. The primary outcome measure will be the change in mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measured at randomization and 12 months from randomization between the intervention and control clusters. Secondary outcomes will include the difference in change in albuminuria status, estimated glomerular filtration rate, systolic blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level. The analysis for change in HbA1c between baseline and end of study will be performed using linear mixed models. Any imbalances between the 2 arms will be addressed by sensitivity analyses. Additionally, a mixed methods process evaluation will be conducted to assess the implementation process, that will include in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, in addition to the quantitative data collected during the implementation process. The qualitative data will be thematically analyzed to explore factors that promote or inhibit the implementation and maintenance of the program. ResultsThe data collection commenced in November 2022, and the results will be ready for publication by the first quarter of 2025. Effectiveness of the intervention package will be assessed by change in mean HbA1c measures, and detailed feasibility, barriers, and enablers for the implementation of the intervention will be documented through a detailed process evaluation. ConclusionsThe study protocol outlines a novel approach to enhancing diabetes management in rural Thailand through digital technology–based interventions that will facilitate task-sharing among health care workers. This can help inform future strategies for improving NCD care in low-resource settings globally. Trial RegistrationThai Clinical Trials Registry TCTR20200322006; https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20200322006 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/59266

Introduction The burden of multimorbidity is recognised increasingly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), creating a strong emphasis on the need for effective evidence-based interventions. Core outcome sets (COS) appropriate for the study of multimorbidity in LMICs do not presently exist. These are required to standardise reporting and contribute to a consistent and cohesive evidence-base to inform policy and practice. We describe the development of two COS for intervention trials aimed at preventing and treating multimorbidity in adults in LMICs.Methods To generate a comprehensive list of relevant prevention and treatment outcomes, we conducted a systematic review and qualitative interviews with people with multimorbidity and their caregivers living in LMICs. We then used a modified two-round Delphi process to identify outcomes most important to four stakeholder groups (people with multimorbidity/caregivers, multimorbidity researchers, healthcare professionals and policymakers) with representation from 33 countries. Consensus meetings were used to reach agreement on the two final COS. Registration: https://www.comet-initiative.org/Studies/Details/1580.Results The systematic review and qualitative interviews identified 24 outcomes for prevention and 49 for treatment of multimorbidity. An additional 12 prevention and 6 treatment outcomes were added from Delphi round 1. Delphi round 2 surveys were completed by 95 of 132 round 1 participants (72.0%) for prevention and 95 of 133 (71.4%) participants for treatment outcomes. Consensus meetings agreed four outcomes for the prevention COS: (1) adverse events, (2) development of new comorbidity, (3) health risk behaviour and (4) quality of life; and four for the treatment COS: (1) adherence to treatment, (2) adverse events, (3) out-of-pocket expenditure and (4) quality of life.Conclusion Following established guidelines, we developed two COS for trials of interventions for multimorbidity prevention and treatment, specific to adults in LMIC contexts. We recommend their inclusion in future trials to meaningfully advance the field of multimorbidity research in LMICs.PROSPERO registration number CRD42020197293.

Objective To extract key lessons on primary healthcare (PHC) service delivery strategies for non-communicable diseases (NCD) from the work of researchers funded by the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD).Design A convergent mixed methods study that extracted data using a standardised template from research projects funded by the GACD that focused on PHC. The strategies implemented in these studies were mapped onto the PHC Performance Initiative framework. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with researchers from purposefully selected projects to understand the strategies and contextual factors in more depth.Setting PHC contexts from low or middle-income countries (LMIC) as well as vulnerable groups within high-income countries. Projects came from all regions of the world, particularly East Asia and Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Latin America and Caribbean.Participants The study extracted data on 84 research projects and interviewed researchers from 16 research projects.Results Research projects came from all regions of the world, and mainly focused on diabetes (35.3%), hypertension (28.3%) and mental health (27.6%). Mapped onto the PHC Performance Initiative framework: 49.4% focused on high-quality PHC (particularly the comprehensiveness of NCD care, 41.2%); 41.2% on the availability of PHC services (particularly the competence of healthcare workers, 36.5%); 35.3% on population health management (particularly community-based services, 35.3%); 34.1% on facility organisation and management (particularly team-based care, 20.0%) and 31.8% on access (particularly digital technology, 23.5%). Most common strategies were task shifting and training to improve the comprehensiveness of NCD care through community-based services. Contextual factors related to inputs: infrastructure, equipment and medication, workforce (particularly community health workers), finances, health information systems and digital technology.Conclusion Key strategies and contextual factors to improve PHC service delivery for NCDs in LMICs were identified. These strategies should combine with other strategies to strengthen the PHC system as a whole, while improving care for NCDs.

Abstract Objectives To explore associations between type and number of abnormal glucose values on antenatal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with postpartum diabetes in South Asian women diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GDM) using International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria. Methods This post‐hoc evaluation of the Lifestyle Intervention IN Gestational Diabetes (LIVING) study, a randomized controlled trial, was conducted among women with GDM in the index pregnancy, across 19 centers in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. Postpartum diabetes (outcome) was defined on OGTT, using American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria. Results We report data on 1468 women with GDM, aged 30.9 (5.0) years, and with median (interquartile range) follow‐up period of 1.8 (1.4–2.4) years after childbirth following the index pregnancy. We found diabetes in 213 (14.5%) women with an incidence of 8.7 (7.6–10.0)/100 women‐years. The lowest incidence rate was 3.8/100 women years, in those with an isolated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) abnormality, and highest was 19.0/100 women years in participants with three abnormal values. The adjusted hazard ratios for two and three abnormal values compared to one abnormal value were 1.73 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18–2.54; p = .005) and 3.56 (95% CI, 2.46–5.16; p

Abstract Background Medical complications during pregnancy, including anaemia, gestational diabetes mellitus and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy place women are at higher risk of long-term complications. Scalable and low-cost strategies to integrate non-communicable disease screening into pregnancy care are needed. We aim to determine the effectiveness and implementation components of a community-based, digitally enabled approach, “SMARThealth Pregnancy,” to improve health during pregnancy and the first year after birth. Methods A pragmatic, parallel-group, cluster randomised, type 2 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial of a community-based, complex intervention in rural India to decrease anaemia (primary outcome, defined as haemoglobin 1 medical officer and > 2 community health workers; and (2) capability to administer intravenous iron sucrose. Thirty PHCs in Telangana and Haryana will be randomised 1:1 using a matched-pair design accounting for cluster size and distance from the regional centre. The intervention comprises (i) an education programme for community health workers and PHC doctors; (ii) the SMARThealth Pregnancy app for health workers to support community-based screening, referral and follow-up of high-risk cases; (iii) a dashboard for PHC doctors to monitor high-risk women in the community; (iv) supply chain monitoring for consumables and medications and (v) stakeholder engagement to co-develop implementation and sustainability pathways. The comparator is usual care with additional health worker education. Secondary outcomes include implementation outcomes assessed by the RE-AIM framework (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance), clinical endpoints (anaemia, diabetes, hypertension), clinical service delivery indicators (quality of care score), mental health and lactation practice (PHQ9, GAD7, EuroQoL-5D, WHO IYCF questionnaire). Discussion Engaging women with screening after a high-risk pregnancy is a challenge and has been highlighted as a missed opportunity for the prevention of non-communicable diseases. The SMARThealth Pregnancy trial is powered for the primary outcome and will address gaps in the evidence around how pregnancy can be used as an opportunity to improve women’s lifelong health. If successful, this approach could improve the health of women living in resource-limited settings around the world. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05752955. Date of registration 3 March 2023.

There is an urgent need to focus on implementing cost-effective health interventions and policies to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Indonesia. This study aims to evaluate whether a mobile technology-supported primary health care intervention, compared with usual care, would reduce the risk of all-cause mortality among people in rural Indonesia. Data were collected from 11,098 participants in four intervention villages and 10,981 participants in four control villages in Malang district, Indonesia. The baseline data were collected in 2016. All the participants were followed for five years, and the mortality data were recorded. Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the association between the intervention and the risk of all-cause mortality, adjusted for the covariates, including age, gender, educational attainment, employment and marital status, obesity and the presence of diabetes mellitus. During the five-year follow-up, 275 participants died in intervention villages, compared with 362 in control villages. Participants residing in intervention villages were at 18% (95%CI = 4 to 30) lower risk of all-cause mortality. Higher education attainment and being married are associated with lower risks of all-cause mortality among respondents who lived in the control villages, but not among those living in the intervention villages. A mobile technology-supported primary health care intervention had the potential to improve the five-year survival among people living in villages in an upper-middle income country.

Abstract Background In Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death and disability. Government efforts to reduce the burden of CVD include a community-based prevention and early detection programme, and the provision of medicines to prevent cardiovascular events. Disruptions to medicine supply chains, service provision, and movement during the COVID-19 pandemic potentially threatened the continuity of these efforts. We investigated the distribution and dispensing of common CVD medicines in Malang district, East Java, before the pandemic and early in its course. Methods From January to October 2020, we collected monthly data on stock levels, sales or dispensing volumes, and price for five common CVD medicines (amlodipine, captopril, furosemide, glibenclamide and simvastatin), from a public and a private distributor, and from public health facilities (n = 4) and private pharmacies (n = 2). We further complied monthly data on patient numbers in two primary health centres. We tracked changes in stocks held and volumes dispensed by medicine type and sector, comparing the three months before the local COVID-19 response was mobilised with the subsequent seven months. We conducted interviews with pharmacists (n = 12), community health workers (n = 2) and a supply chain logistics manager to investigate the reasons for observed changes, and to learn details of any impacts or mitigation measures. Results The pandemic affected demand more than supply, causing medicine stocks to rise. Restricted service provision, lock-down measures and fear of infection contributed to a sharp drop in patient numbers and dispensing volumes in the public sector. Meanwhile private sector sales, especially of lower-priced CVD medicines, rose. Community health workers attributed some poor health outcomes to interruption in regular patient check-ups; this interruption was aggravated by formal mitigation policies. Conclusions Fears that COVID-19 would interrupt medicine availability were unfounded in East Java. Public sector patients may have compensated for reduced service access by switching to private pharmacies. Mitigation policies that ignored administrative procedures were not effective.

Abstract Excess dietary salt intake is well established as a leading cause of high blood pressure and associated cardiovascular disease, yet current salt intake in India is nearly 11 g per day, more than twice World Health Organization maximum recommended intake of 5 g per day. Although dietary survey data from India indicate that the main sources of dietary salt are salt added during cooking at home, and few salt reduction efforts have focused on interventions at the household level. As a result, there is little evidence of the effectiveness of behavior change programs to reduce salt intake at the household level. The study aims to develop and implement a community based behavioral change intervention to reduce salt intake delivered by front line community‐based health volunteers; and evaluate the preliminary effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of delivering a salt reduction behavior change program and potential to support future scale‐up. The study is a pre‐post intervention design, and outcomes will be evaluated from a random sample of 1500 participants from 28 villages in two primary health centers in Siddipet, Telangana. Primary outcome is change in salt‐related KAB (knowledge, attitude, and behavior) score, and secondary outcomes will be changes in salt intake measured by 24 h urinary sodium excretion and change in scores using the subscales of the COM‐B (“capability”, “opportunity”, “motivation” and “behavior”) tool. Findings will be used to inform future public health policies to support implementation of scalable community‐based interventions to reduce salt intake and control hypertension, the leading‐cause of death in India.

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women in India. Early identification is crucial to reducing deaths. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) carry independent risks for future CVD, and antenatal care is a window to screen and counsel high-risk women. In rural India, community health workers (CHWs) deliver antenatal and postnatal care. We developed a complex intervention (SMARThealth Pregnancy) involving mobile clinical decision support for CHWs and evaluated it in a pilot cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT). ObjectiveThe aim of the study is to co-design a theory-informed intervention for CHWs to screen, refer, and counsel pregnant women at high risk of future CVD in rural India and evaluate its feasibility and acceptability. MethodsIn phase 1, we used qualitative methods to explore community priorities for high-risk pregnant women in rural areas of 2 diverse states in India. In phase 2, informed by behavior change theory and human-centered design, we used these qualitative data to develop the intervention components and implementation strategies for SMARThealth Pregnancy in an iterative process with end users. In phase 3, using mixed methods, we evaluated the intervention in a cRCT with an embedded qualitative substudy across 4 primary health centres: 2 in Jhajjar district, Haryana, and 2 in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. ResultsSMARThealth Pregnancy embedded a total of 15 behavior change techniques and included (1) community awareness programs; (2) targeted training, including point-of-care blood pressure and hemoglobin measurement; and (3) mobile clinical decision support for CHWs to screen women in their homes. The intervention focused on 3 priority conditions: anemia, HDP, and GDM. The evaluation involved a total of 200 pregnant women, equally randomized to intervention or enhanced standard care (control). Recruitment was completed within 5 months, with minimal loss to follow-up (4/200, 2%) at 6 weeks postpartum. A total of 4 primary care doctors and 54 CHWs in the intervention clusters took part in the study. Fidelity to intervention practices was 100% prepandemic. Over half the study population was affected by moderate to severe anemia at baseline. The prevalence of HDP (2.5%) and GDM (2%) was low in our study population. Results suggest a possible improvement in mean hemoglobin (anemia) in the intervention group, although an adequately powered trial is needed. The model of home-based care was feasible and acceptable for pregnant or postpartum women and CHWs, who perceived improvements in quality of care, self-efficacy, and professional recognition. ConclusionsSMARThealth Pregnancy is an innovative model of home-based care for high-risk pregnant women during the transitions between antenatal and postnatal care and adult health services. The use of theory and co-design during intervention development facilitated acceptability of the intervention and implementation strategies. Our experience has informed the decision to initiate a larger-scale cRCT. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03968952; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03968952 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.3389/fgwh.2021.620759

IntroductionThe situation for women experiencing mental health problems during pregnancy and postpartum in rural India is critical: a high burden of disease, a high estimated number of women are undiagnosed and untreated with mental health problems, a substantial gap in research on women's perinatal health, and severe stigma and discrimination. The SMARThealth Pregnancy study is a cluster randomised trial using a digital intervention to identify and manage anaemia, hypertension, and diabetes in the first year after birth in rural India. Within this study, the SMARThealth Pregnancy and Mental Health (PRAMH) study is a situational analysis to understand mental health problems during pregnancy and in the first year following birth in this population.Methods/designThis situational analysis aims to analyse and to assess the context of perinatal mental health, health services, barriers, facilitators, and gaps in Siddipet district of Telangana state in India, to develop an implementation framework for a future intervention. A tested, standardised situational analysis tool will be adapted and applied to perinatal mental health in rural India. A desktop and policy review will be conducted to identify and analyse relevant mental health and pregnancy care policies at the national and state levels. We will conduct in-depth interviews with policymakers, planners, mental health professionals and other experts in perinatal mental health (n = 10–15). We will also conduct focus group discussions with key stakeholders, including women with perinatal mental health problems, their families and carers, and community health workers (n = 24–40). A theory of change workshop with key stakeholders will be conducted which will also serve as a priority setting exercise, and will clarify challenges and opportunities, priorities, and objectives for a pilot intervention study. The analysis of qualitive data will be done using thematic analysis. Based on the data analysis and synthesis of the findings, an implementation framework will be developed to guide development, testing and scale up of a contextually relevant intervention for perinatal mental health.DiscussionThe situational analysis will help to establish relationships with all relevant stakeholders, clarify the context and hypotheses for the pilot intervention and implementation.

Background: An integrated primary health care approach, where primary care and public health efforts are coordinated, is a key feature of routine immunisation campaigns. Aim: The aim of the study is to describe the approach used by a diverse group of international primary health care professionals in delivering their coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination programmes, as well as their perspectives on public health and primary care integration while implementing national COVID-19 vaccination programmes in their own jurisdictions. Setting: This is a protocol for a study, which consists of a cross-sectional online survey disseminated among a convenience sample of international primary health care professional through member-based organisations and professional networks via email and online newsletters. Methods: Survey development followed an iterative validation process with a formative committee developing the survey instrument based on study objectives, existing literature and best practices and a summative committee verifying and validating content. Results: Main outcome measures are vaccination implementation approach (planning, coordination service deliver), level or type of primary care involvement and degree of primary care and public health integration at community level. Conclusion: Integrated health systems can lead to a greater impact in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and can ensure that we are better prepared for crises that threaten human health, not only limited to infectious pandemics but also the rising tide of chronic disease, natural and conflict-driven disasters and climate change. Contribution: This study will provide insight and key learnings for improving vaccination efforts for COVID-19 and possible future pandemics.

Background The WHO has warned that substandard and falsified medicines threaten health, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the magnitude of that threat for many medicines in different regions is not well described, and high-quality studies remain rare. Recent reviews of studies of cardiovascular and diabetes medicine quality recorded that 15.4% of cardiovascular and 6.8% of diabetes samples failed at least one quality test. Review authors warn that study quality was mixed. Because they did not record medicine volume, no study reflected the risk posed to patients.Methods and findings We investigated the quality of five medicines for cardiovascular disease and diabetes in Malang district, East Java, Indonesia. Our sample frame, based on dispensing volumes by outlet and price category, included sampling from public and private providers and pharmacies and reflected the potential risk posed to patients. The content of active ingredient was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and compared with the labelled content. Dissolution testing was also performed.We collected a total of 204 samples: amlodipine (88); captopril (22); furosemide (21); glibenclamide (21) and simvastatin (52), comprising 83 different brands/products. All were manufactured in Indonesia, and all samples met specifications for both assay and dissolution. None was suspected of being falsified.Conclusions While we cannot conclude that the prevalence of poor-quality medicines in Malang district is zero, our sampling method, which reflects likely exposure to specific brands and outlets, suggests that the risk to patients is very low; certainly nothing like the rates found in recent reviews of surveys in LMICs. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of sampling medicines based on likely exposure to specific products and underlines the dangers of extrapolating results across countries.

Background Driven by the increasing life expectancy, China and India, the two most populous countries in the world are experiencing a rising burden of multimorbidity. This study aims to explore community prevalence and dyad patterns of multimorbidity in China and India.Methods We conducted a systematic review of five English and Chinese electronic databases. Studies involving adults 18 years or older at a community level, which reported multimorbidity prevalence and/or patterns were included. A modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for quality assessment. Despite large heterogeneity among reported studies, a systematic synthesis of the results was conducted to report the findings.Results From 13 996 studies retrieved, 59 studies met the inclusion criteria (46 in China, 9 in India and 4 in both). The median prevalence of multimorbidity was 30.7% (IQR 17.1, 49.4), ranging from 1.5% to 90.5%. There was a large difference in multimorbidity prevalence between China and India, with median prevalence being 36.1% (IQR 19.6, 48.8) and 28.3% (IQR 8.9, 56.8), respectively. Among 27 studies that reported age-specific prevalence, 19 studies found multimorbidity prevalence increased with age, while 8 studies observed a paradoxical reduction in the oldest age group. Of the 34 studies that reported sex-specific prevalence, 86% (n=32) observed a higher prevalence in females. The most common multimorbidity patterns from 14 studies included hypertensive diseases combined with diabetes mellitus, arthropathies, heart diseases and metabolic disorders. All included studies were rated as fair or poor quality.Conclusion Multimorbidity is highly prevalent in China and India with hypertensive diseases and other comorbidities being the most observed patterns. The overall quality of the studies was low and there was a lack of representative samples in most studies. Large epidemiology studies, using a common definition of multimorbidity and national representative samples, with sex disaggregation are needed in both countries.PROSPERO registration number CRD42020176774.

Background Community health workers (CHWs) play a critical role in supporting health systems, and in improving accessibility to primary healthcare. In many settings CHW programmes do not have formalised employment models and face issues of high attrition and poor performance. This study aims to determine the employment preferences of CHWs in Malang district, Indonesia, to inform policy interventions.Methods A discrete choice experiment was conducted with 471 CHWs across 28 villages. Attributes relevant to CHW employment were identified through a multistage process including literature review, focus group discussions and expert consultation. Respondents’ choices were analysed with a mixed multinomial logit model and latent class analyses.Results Five attributes were identified: (1) supervision; (2) training; (3) monthly financial benefit; (4) recognition; and (5) employment structure. The most important influence on choice of job was a low monthly financial benefit (US$~2) (β=0.53, 95% CI=0.43 to 0.63), followed by recognition in the form of a performance feedback report (β=0.13, 95% CI=0.07 to 0.20). A large monthly financial benefit (US$~20) was most unappealing to respondents (β=−0.13, 95% CI=−0.23 to −0.03). Latent class analysis identified two groups of CHWs who differed in their willingness to accept either job presented and preferences over specific attributes. Preferences diverged based on respondent characteristics including experience, hours’ worked per week and income.Conclusion CHWs in Malang district, Indonesia, favour a small monthly financial benefit which likely reflects the unique cultural values underpinning the programme and a desire for remuneration that is commensurate with the limited number of hours worked. CHWs also desire enhanced methods of performance feedback and greater structure around training and their rights and responsibilities. Fulfilling these conditions may become increasingly important should CHWs work longer hours.

Abstract Background Around 1 in 7 people in India are impacted by mental illness. The treatment gap for people with mental disorders is as high as 75–95%. Health care systems, especially in rural regions in India, face substantial challenges to address these gaps in care, and innovative strategies are needed. Methods We hypothesise that an intervention involving an anti-stigma campaign and a mobile-technology-based electronic decision support system will result in reduced stigma and improved mental health for adults at high risk of common mental disorders. It will be implemented as a parallel-group cluster randomised, controlled trial in 44 primary health centre clusters servicing 133 villages in rural Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. Adults aged ≥ 18 years will be screened for depression, anxiety and suicide based on Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalised Anxiety Disorders (GAD-7) scores. Two evaluation cohorts will be derived—a high-risk cohort with elevated PHQ-9, GAD-7 or suicide risk and a non-high-risk cohort comprising an equal number of people not at elevated risk based on these scores. Outcome analyses will be conducted blinded to intervention allocation. Expected outcomes The primary study outcome is the difference in mean behaviour scores at 12 months in the combined ‘high-risk’ and ‘non-high-risk’ cohort and the mean difference in PHQ-9 scores at 12 months in the ‘high-risk’ cohort. Secondary outcomes include depression and anxiety remission rates in the high-risk cohort at 6 and 12 months, the proportion of high-risk individuals who have visited a doctor at least once in the previous 12 months, and change from baseline in mean stigma, mental health knowledge and attitude scores in the combined non-high-risk and high-risk cohort. Trial outcomes will be accompanied by detailed economic and process evaluations. Significance The findings are likely to inform policy on a low-cost scalable solution to destigmatise common mental disorders and reduce the treatment gap for under-served populations in low-and middle-income country settings. Trial registration Clinical Trial Registry India CTRI/2018/08/015355 . Registered on 16 August 2018.

Complex interventions are needed to effectively tackle non-communicable diseases. However, complex interventions can contain a mix of effective and ineffective actions. Process evaluation (PE) in public health research is of great value as it could clarify the mechanisms and contextual factors associ­ated with variation in the outcomes, better identify effective components, and inform adaptation of the intervention. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the value of PE through five case studies that span the research cycle. The interven­tions include using digital health, salt reduction strategies, use of fixed dose combinations, and task shifting. Insights of the methods used, and the implications of the PE findings to the project, were discussed. PE of complex interventions can refute or confirm the hypothesized mechanisms of action, thereby enabling intervention refinement, and identifying implementation strategies that can address local contextual needs, so as to improve service delivery and public health outcomes.

Digital health refers to the use of novel information com­munication technologies in healthcare. The use of these technologies could positively impact public health and health outcomes of populations by generating timely data, and facili­tating the process of data collection, analysis, and knowledge translation. Using selected case studies, we aim to describe the opportunities and barriers in the use of technology applied to health-related research. We focus on three areas: strategies to generate new data using novel data collection methods, strategies to use and analyze existing data, and using digital health for health-related interventions. Exemplars from seven countries are provided to illustrate activity across these areas. Although the use of health-related technologies is increasing, challenges remain to support their adoption and scale-up –especially for under-served populations. Research using digital health approaches should take a user-centered design, actively working with the population of interest to maximize their uptake and effectiveness.

IntroductionThe World Health Organization and International Union against Tuberculosis (TB) recommends screening patients with TB for Diabetes Mellitus (DM) at the initiation of treatment. There are few pilot studies which screen TB patients for DM, but none of them have documented the feasibility of managing TB patients with DM in the Indian healthcare setting. Operational research is needed to determine the best way to manage individuals with both conditions. This pilot study aimed to develop, and field test an integrated, multidisciplinary program addressing the management of individuals with TB and DM and other associated chronic conditions in the Indian primary healthcare setting.MethodsThis pilot study used a randomized controlled trial design with mixed-methods evaluation and was conducted in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, a southern state of India. All the 120 patients newly diagnosed with TB from 10 participating villages were screened for DM and associated cardiovascular risk factors. Non-physician health workers were trained to follow-up patients for a period of 8 months to encourage treatment adherence, monitor treatment response including blood glucose levels and provide lifestyle advice.ResultsThe intervention was well-accepted by the providers and patients. However, there were no statistically significant variations observed for mean blood glucose levels (mean [SD]: 5.3 [−23.3 to 33.8]) of patients for both intervention and control group participants in this feasibility study. Awareness about diabetes and tuberculosis comorbidity and cardiovascular risk increased among the non-physician health workers in the intervention arm of the study.DiscussionThe co-management of TB-DM is acceptable to both the health providers and patients. With appropriate training, availability of infrastructure and planned intervention implementation, it is feasible to co-manage TB-DM within the existing primary health care system in India.

Almost all low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have instated a program to control and manage non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Population screening is an integral component of this strategy and requires a substantial chunk of investment. Therefore, testing the screening program for economic along with clinical effectiveness is essential. There is significant proof of the benefits of incorporating economic evidence in health decision-making globally, although evidence from LMICs in NCD prevention is scanty. This systematic review aims to consolidate and synthesize economic evidence of screening programs for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes from LMICs. The study protocol is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021275806). The review includes articles from English and Chinese languages. An initial search retrieved a total of 2,644 potentially relevant publications. Finally, 15 articles (13 English and 2 Chinese reports) were included and scrutinized in detail. We found 6 economic evaluations of interventions targeting cardiovascular diseases, 5 evaluations of diabetes interventions, and 4 were combined interventions, i.e., screening of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The study showcases numerous innovative screening programs that have been piloted, such as using mobile technology for screening, integrating non-communicable disease screening with existing communicable disease screening programs, and using community health workers for screening. Our review reveals that context is of utmost importance while considering any intervention, i.e., depending on the available resources, cost-effectiveness may vary—screening programs can be made universal or targeted just for the high-risk population.

BackgroundElevated blood pressure or hypertension is responsible for around 10 million annual deaths globally, and people residing in low and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected by it. India is no exception, where low rate of treatment seeking for hypertension coupled with widespread out-of-pocket payments (OOPs) have been a challenge. This study assessed the pattern of health care seeking behaviour and financial protection along with the associated factors among hypertensive individuals in rural West Bengal, India.Method and findingsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Birbhum district of the state of West Bengal, India, during 2017-2018, where 300 individuals were recruited randomly from a list of hypertensives in a population cohort. Healthcare seeking for hypertension and related financial protection in terms of-OOPs and expenses relative to monthly per-capita family expenditure, were analysed. Findings indicated that 47% of hypertensives were not on treatment. Among those under treatment, 80% preferred non-public facilities, and 91% of them had wide-spread OOPs. Cost of medication was a major share of expenses followed by transportation cost to access public health care facility. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated longer duration of disease (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 5.68, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.24-25.99) and health care seeking from non-public establishment (aOR: 34.33, CI: 4.82-244.68) were associated with more incident of OOPs. Linear regression with generalized linear model revealed presence of co-morbidities (adjusted coefficient (aCoeff)10.28, CI: 4.96,15.61) and poorer economic groups (aCoeffpoorest 11.27, CI 3.82,18.71; aCoefflower-middle 7.83, CI 0.65,15.00 and aCoeffupper-middle 7.25, CI: 0.80,13.70) had higher relative expenditure.ConclusionThis study suggests that individuals with hypertension had poor health care seeking behaviour, preferred non-public health facilities and had suboptimal financial protection. Economically poorer individuals had higher burden of health expenditure for treatment of hypertension, which indicated gaps in equitable health care delivery for the control of hypertension.

Rapidly growing rate of infection among health workers during the current COVID-19 pandemic, is posing a serious challenge to global health systems. Lately, India is also witnessing an intensifying COVID-19 disease burden and its impact on health workers. This paper aims to discuss the challenges to health worker protection in India and the possible ways forward. Given the inadequate and unequally distributed healthcare workforce, it is highly essential for the country to strategize prompt measures for ensuring occupational health and safety of its health workers. Information for this paper were gathered by searching PubMed and Google Scholar databases using “COVID-19”, “Infection Control”, “Health worker”, “India” as search keywords in different combinations. In addition, websites of Government of India, relevant UN agencies and leading news agencies were also searched manually for related reports and publications. India must take timely measures in rapid manufacturing and procurement of essential personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure adequate stockpiling to meet the rising demands. Comprehensive and repeated training with sharply focussed content including usage of PPE kits as well as active surveillance of adherence to recommended protocol are critical in protecting health workers especially the primary care physicians and frontline health staff from the deadly COVID-19 infection. The provision of psychological and financial support for health workers and their families is absolutely critical in building trust and dedicated work efforts by the health workforce for a continuous fight against the deadly disease.

Introduction: India is in the process of a major epidemiological transition towards non-communicable diseases. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women in India. Predisposing independent risk factors include pregnancy-related conditions, e.g., hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and gestational diabetes (GDM) - also associated with significant perinatal mortality and morbidity. Early identification, referral and management of pregnant women at increased risk of future CVD may offer opportunities for prevention. In rural India, Community Health Workers (CHWs) provide most antenatal and postnatal care. Innovative solutions are required to address integrated care for rural women during transitions between antenatal, postnatal and general health services. The George Institute's SMARThealth Programme has shown that CHWs in rural India screening non-pregnant adults for cardiovascular risk, using a decision support system, is feasible. Building on this, we developed a targeted training programme for CHWs and a complex system-level intervention that uses mobile clinical decision support for CHWs and primary care doctors to screen high-risk pregnant women. In addition to addressing HDP and GDM, the intervention also screens for anaemia in pregnancy.Methods/Design: A pilot study will be undertaken in two diverse rural districts of India: Jhajjar (Haryana) and Guntur (Andhra Pradesh). Two Primary Health Centre clusters will be randomised to intervention or control groups at each study site. The primary objective of this pilot study is to explore the feasibility and acceptability of the SMARThealth Pregnancy intervention. Secondary objectives are to estimate: (a) prevalence rates of moderate to severe anaemia, HDPs and GDM at the study sites; (b) referral and follow-up rates, and (c) mean haemoglobin and blood pressure values at the routine 6 week postnatal visit. A process evaluation will be conducted to explore the acceptability of the SMARThealth Pregnancy intervention for pregnant women and healthcare workers using qualitative methods.Discussion: It is anticipated that the findings of this pilot study will help determine the feasibility and acceptability of the SMARThealth Pregnancy intervention, and highlight how the intervention might be further developed for evaluation in a larger, cluster randomised controlled trial.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03968952.

Introduction The development of type 2 diabetes mellitus disproportionately affects South Asian women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The Lifestyle InterVention IN Gestational diabetes (LIVING) Study is a randomised controlled trial of a low-intensity lifestyle modification programme tailored to women with previous GDM, in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, aimed at preventing diabetes/pre-diabetes. The aim of this process evaluation is to understand what worked, and why, during the LIVING intervention implementation, and to provide additional data that will assist in the interpretation of the LIVING Study results. The findings will also inform future scale-up efforts if the intervention is found to be effective.Methods and analysis The Reach Effectiveness Adoption Implementation Maintenance (RE-AIM) methodological approach informed the evaluation framework. Michie’s Behaviour Change Theory and Normalisation Process Theory were used to guide the design of our qualitative evaluation tools within the overall RE-AIM evaluation framework. Mixed methods including qualitative interviews, focus groups and quantitative analyses will be used to evaluate the intervention from the perspectives of the women receiving the intervention, facilitators, site investigators and project management staff. The evaluation will use evaluation datasets, administratively collected process data accessed during monitoring visits, check lists and logs, quantitative participant evaluation surveys, semistructured interviews and focus group discussions. Interview participants will be recruited using maximum variation purposive sampling. We will undertake thematic analysis of all qualitative data, conducted contemporaneously with data collection until thematic saturation has been achieved. To triangulate data, the analysis team will engage in constant iterative comparison among data from various stakeholders.Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval has been obtained from the respective human research ethics committees of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and site-specific approval at each local site in the three countries: India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This includes approvals from the Institutional Ethics Committee at King Edwards Memorial Hospital, Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, Centre for Disease Control New Delhi, Goa Medical College, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Christian Medical College Vellore, Fernandez Hospital Foundation, Castle Street Hospital for Women, University of Kelaniya, Topiwala National Medical College and BYL Nair Charitable Hospital, Birdem General Hospital and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research. Findings will be documented in academic publications, presentations at scientific meetings and stakeholder workshops.Trial registration numbers Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2017/06/008744); Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry (SLCTR/2017/001) and ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03305939); Pre-results.

Aim: To refine and contextually adapt a postpartum lifestyle intervention for prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka.Materials and Methods: In-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with women with current diagnosis of GDM, and health care professionals involved in their management, to understand relevant local contextual factors for intervention optimization and implementation. This paper describes facilitators and barriers as well as feedback from participants on how to improve the proposed intervention. These factors were grouped and interpreted along the axes of the three main determinants of behavior–capability, opportunity, and motivation. IDIs and FGDs were digitally recorded, transcribed, and translated. Data-driven inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to identify and analyze patterns and themes.Results: Two interrelated themes emerged from the IDIs and FGDs: (i) The lifestyle intervention was acceptable and considered to have the potential to improve the existing model of care for women with GDM; and (ii) Certain barriers such as reduced priority of self-care, and adverse societal influences postpartum need to be addressed for the improvement of GDM care. Based on the feedback, the intervention was optimized by including messages for family members in the content of the intervention, providing options for both text and voice messages as reminders, and finalizing the format of the intervention session delivery.Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of contextual factors in influencing postpartum care and support for women diagnosed with GDM in three South Asian countries. It indicates that although provision of postpartum care is complex, a group lifestyle intervention program is highly acceptable to women with GDM, as well as to health care professionals, at urban hospitals.

Cardiometabolic disorders (CMDs), including ischemic heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in women worldwide. The burden of CMDs falls disproportionately on low and middle-income countries (LMICs), placing substantial demands on already pressured health systems. Cardiometabolic disorders may present up to a decade earlier in some LMIC settings, and are associated with high-case fatality rates. Early identification and ongoing postpartum follow-up of women with pregnancy complications such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs), and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may offer opportunities for prevention, or help delay onset of CMDs. This mini-review paper presents an overview of the key challenges faced in the early identification, referral and management of pregnant women at increased risk of CMDs, in low-resource settings worldwide. Evidence-based strategies, including novel diagnostics, technology and innovations for early detection, screening and management for pregnant women at high-risk of CMDs are presented. The review highlights the key research priorities for addressing cardiometabolic risk in pregnancy in low-resource settings.

Abstract Background Non-optimal blood pressure (BP) levels are a major cause of disease burden globally. We describe current BP and treatment patterns in rural India and compare different approaches to BP lowering in this setting. Methods All individuals aged ≥40 years from 54 villages in a South Indian district were invited and 62,194 individuals (84%) participated in a cross-sectional study. Individual 10-year absolute cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk was estimated using WHO/ISH charts. Using known effects of treatment, proportions of events that would be averted under different paradigms of BP lowering therapy were estimated. Results After imputation of pre-treatment BP levels for participants on existing treatment, 76·9% (95% confidence interval, 75.7–78.0%), 5·3% (4.9–5.6%), and 17·8% (16.9–18.8%) of individuals had a 10-year CVD risk defined as low ( 160/100 mmHg), respectively. Compared to the 19.6% (18.4–20.9%) of adults treated with current practice, a slightly higher or similar proportion would be treated using an intermediate (23·2% (22.0–24.3%)) or high (17·9% (16.9–18.8%) risk threshold for instituting BP lowering therapy and this would avert 87·2% (85.8–88.5%) and 62·7% (60.7–64.6%) more CVD events over ten years, respectively. These strategies were highly cost-effective relative to the current practice. Conclusion In a rural Indian community, a substantial proportion of the population has elevated CVD risk. The more efficient and cost-effective clinical approach to BP lowering is to base treatment decisions on an estimate of an individual’s short-term absolute CVD risk rather than with BP based strategy. Clinical trial registration Clinical Trials Registry of India CTRI/2013/06/003753, 14 June 2013.

Abstract Background Falls are an emerging public health issue in India, with the impact set to rise as the population ages. We sought to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and likely impact of a yoga-based program aimed at improving balance and mobility for older residents in urban India. Methods Fifty local residents aged 60 years and older were recruited from urban Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. They were invited to attend a 1-h yoga class, twice weekly for 3 months. Mixed methods were used to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility (qualitative) and likely impact (quantitative). Two focus groups and eight interviews with participants were conducted to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a yoga program. Thematic analysis was conducted in context of perceptions, barriers and benefits of yoga participation and fall ascertainment. Physical performance using the Short Physical Performance Battery, fear of falling, blood pressure and weight loss were measured before and after the program. Results The interviews and focus groups provided insights into the preferred format for classes, including session times, level of supervision and location. Improvements were seen in the Short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (Short FES-I (15.9 ± 4.0 vs 13.8 ± 2.1 s, p = 0.002)), the number of steps taken in the timed 4-m walk (T4MW (9.0 ± 1.8 vs 8.6 ± 1.8, p = 0.04)), Short FES-I scores (9.4 ± 2.9 vs 8.6 ± 2.9, p = 0.02) and weight (63.8 ± 12.4 vs 62.1 ± 11.6, p = 0.004) were lower. No changes were seen in standing balance, blood pressure or T4MW time. Conclusion Yoga was well accepted and resulted in improved ability to rise from a chair, weight loss, increased step length and reduced fear of falling. These results provide impetus for further research evaluating yoga as a fall prevention strategy in India.

BACKGROUND:Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are rising in India resulting in major health system challenges. METHODS:Eighteen primary health centre (PHC) clusters in rural Andhra Pradesh were randomised over three, 6-month steps to an intervention comprising: (1) household CVD risk assessments by village-based community health workers (CHWs) using a mobile tablet device; (2) electronic referral and clinical decision support for PHC doctors; and (3) a tracking system for follow-up care. Independent data collectors screened people aged ≥ 40 years in 54 villages serviced by the PHCs to create a high CVD risk cohort (based on WHO risk charts and blood pressure thresholds). Randomly selected, independent samples, comprising 15% of this cohort, were reviewed at each 6-month step. The primary outcome was the proportion meeting systolic blood pressure (SBP) targets (

BackgroundThe brunt of cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden globally now resides within low- and middle-income countries, including Indonesia. However, little is known regarding cardiovascular health in Indonesia. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of elevated CVD risk in a specific region of Indonesia.MethodsWe conducted full household screening for cardiovascular risk factors among adults aged 40 years and older in 8 villages in Malang District, East Java Province, Indonesia, in 2016-2017. 10-year cardiovascular risk scores were calculated based on the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension's region-specific charts that use age, sex, blood pressure, diabetes status and smoking behaviour.ResultsAmong 22,093 participants, 6,455 (29.2%) had high cardiovascular risk, defined as the presence of coronary heart disease, stroke or other atherosclerotic disease; estimated 10-year CVD risk of ≥ 30%; or estimated 10-year CVD risk between 10% to 29% combined with a systolic blood pressure of > 140 mmHg. The prevalence of high CVD risk was greater in urban (31.6%, CI 30.7-32.5%) than in semi-urban (28.7%, CI 27.3-30.1%) and rural areas (26.2%, CI 25.2-27.2%). Only 11% and 1% of all the respondents with high CVD risk were on blood pressure lowering and statins treatment, respectively.ConclusionsHigh cardiovascular risk is common among Indonesian adults aged ≥40 years, and rates of preventive treatment are low. Population-based and clinical approaches to preventing CVD should be a priority in both urban and rural areas.

More countries are using verbal autopsy as a part of routine mortality surveillance. The length of time required to complete a verbal autopsy interview is a key logistical consideration for planning large-scale surveillance.We use the PHMRC shortened questionnaire to conduct verbal autopsy interviews at three sites and collect data on the length of time required to complete the interview. This instrument uses a novel checklist of keywords to capture relevant information from the open response. The open response section is timed separately from the section consisting of closed questions.We found the median time to complete the entire interview was approximately 25 minutes and did not vary substantially by age-specific module. The median time for the open response section was approximately 4 minutes and 60% of interviewees mentioned at least one keyword within the open response section.The length of time required to complete the interview was short enough for large-scale routine use. The open-response section did not add a substantial amount of time and provided useful information which can be used to increase the accuracy of the predictions of the cause of death. The novel checklist approach further reduces the burden of transcribing and translating a large amount of free text. This makes the PHMRC instrument ideal for national mortality surveillance.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in India is currently assessed using the World Health Organization/International Society for Hypertension (WHO/ISH) risk prediction charts since no population-specific models exist. The WHO/ISH risk prediction charts have two versions-one with total cholesterol as a predictor (the high information (HI) model) and the other without (the low information (LI) model). However, information on the WHO/ISH risk prediction charts including guidance on which version to use and when, as well as relative performance of the LI and HI models, is limited. This article aims to, firstly, quantify the relative performance of the LI and HI WHO/ISH risk prediction (for WHO-South East Asian Region D) using data from rural India. Secondly, we propose a pre-screening (simplified) point-of-care (POC) test to identify patients who are likely to benefit from a total cholesterol (TC) test, and subsequently when the LI model is preferential to HI model. Analysis was performed using cross-sectional data from rural Andhra Pradesh collected in 2005 with recorded blood cholesterol measurements (N = 1066). CVD risk was computed using both LI and HI models, and high risk individuals who needed treatment(THR) were subsequently identified based on clinical guidelines. Model development for the POC assessment of a TC test was performed through three machine learning techniques: Support Vector Machine (SVM), Regularised Logistic Regression (RLR), and Random Forests (RF) along with a feature selection process. Disagreement in CVD risk predicted by LI and HI WHO/ISH models was 14.5% (n = 155; p

BackgroundHeart failure places a significant burden on patients and health systems in high-income countries. However, information about its burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is scant. We thus set out to review both published and unpublished information on the presentation, causes, management, and outcomes of heart failure in LMICs.Methods and findingsMedline, Embase, Global Health Database, and World Health Organization regional databases were searched for studies from LMICs published between 1 January 1995 and 30 March 2014. Additional unpublished data were requested from investigators and international heart failure experts. We identified 42 studies that provided relevant information on acute hospital care (25 LMICs; 232,550 patients) and 11 studies on the management of chronic heart failure in primary care or outpatient settings (14 LMICs; 5,358 patients). The mean age of patients studied ranged from 42 y in Cameroon and Ghana to 75 y in Argentina, and mean age in studies largely correlated with the human development index of the country in which they were conducted (r = 0.71, pConclusionsThe presentation, underlying causes, management, and outcomes of heart failure vary substantially across LMICs. On average, the use of evidence-based medications tends to be suboptimal. Better strategies for heart failure surveillance and management in LMICs are needed. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.