Washington, DC, January 7, 2026 (PAHO) – The Pan American Journal of Public Health, the scientific publication of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), recently published a special issue dedicated to strengthening primary health care to address noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Americas.
The HEARTS initiative in the Americas, aimed at reducing cardiovascular mortality through the control of hypertension, required significant contextual adaptation for its successful implementation in Cuba. This article analyzes the organizational strategy and key innovations used to adapt the model to the national context, which enabled the program to expand from a single demonstration site (2016) to 451 primary care centers nationwide (2022).
Guatemala faces a growing burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases, with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus being the leading contributors to cardiovascular mortality and progression to chronic kidney disease. In 2022, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance began implementing the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization’s HEARTS technical package to strengthen the prevention and clinical management of these conditions in low- and medium-complexity health care facilities.
Objective. To describe an experience with community health champions in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases within the framework of the HEARTS initiative, taking into account territorial characteristics.
11 AUGUST 2026, WASHINGTON, D.C.— Dermatophilosis, a bacterial skin infection characterized by localized skin lesions, is rare in humans and has historically been transmitted through contact with infected animals.
The HEARTS initiative in the Americas is a key strategy for strengthening primary health care and improving the management of high blood pressure, the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In the Dominican Republic, its implementation has evolved toward an institutionalized model focused on quality, governance, and access to medications.
Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In 2025, two major evidence-based frameworks evolved in parallel: HEARTS 2.0, an implementation-oriented clinical pathway for integrated cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic (CKM) care through primary health care, and the updated American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Blood Pressure Guideline, one of the world's leading hypertension guidelines.
Objective: To estimate the proportion of healthcare providers who perceived the HEARTS Clinical Pathway as easy to apply in routine practice and identify perceived barriers and facilitators influencing its use.
Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of death in the Region of the Americas, accounting for more than 2.2 million deaths annually, and pose a critical challenge to health systems, economic development, and social equity. The absolute number of cases has continued to rise, while the decline in mortality has slowed since the mid-2010s, jeopardizing progress toward the goal of reducing premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by 30% by 2030.
Objective: To describe blood pressure trajectories and hypertension control among patients enrolled in the HEARTS program in south-west Trinidad.
