Few public health challenges are more urgent than improving the prevention and management of cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic (CKM) diseases. Together, these interconnected conditions account for a substantial proportion of premature mortality, disability, and health expenditure across the Americas. Although effective interventions have existed for decades, access to timely diagnosis, essential medicines, and continuous, high-quality care remains profoundly unequal. As countries move toward universal health, expanding access remains essential—but access alone is no longer enough. Health systems must also improve the quality, continuity, and integration of care to translate broader coverage into meaningfully better health outcomes.
Making primary health care work better: the HEARTS 2.0 opportunity to integrate cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic care
Pedro Ordunez , Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr.
In this special issue of the Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health, we bring together a collection of papers that reflects the evolution of HEARTS in the Americas and the growing experience accumulated by countries in improving the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through primary health care (PHC). Collectively, these contributions demonstrate that advancing PHC is no longer an aspirational goal but an increasingly achievable reality. The papers also show that the next step is not simply to expand successful interventions, but to improve how health systems organize and deliver care so that more people benefit from integrated, high-quality services. Few public health challenges are more urgent than improving the prevention and management of cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic (CKM) diseases. Together, these interconnected conditions account for a substantial proportion of premature mortality, disability, and health expenditure across the Americas. Although effective interventions have existed for decades, access to timely diagnosis, essential medicines, and continuous, high-quality care remains profoundly unequal. As countries move toward universal health, expanding access remains essential—but access alone is no longer enough. Health systems must also improve the quality, continuity, and integration of care to translate broader coverage into meaningfully better health outcomes.
In this special issue of the Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health, we bring together a collection of papers that reflects the evolution of HEARTS in the Americas and the growing experience accumulated by countries in improving the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through primary health care (PHC). Collectively, these contributions demonstrate that advancing PHC is no longer an aspirational goal but an increasingly achievable reality. The papers also show that the next step is not simply to expand successful interventions, but to improve how health systems organize and deliver care so that more people benefit from integrated, high-quality services.
Few public health challenges are more urgent than improving the prevention and management of cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic (CKM) diseases. Together, these interconnected conditions account for a substantial proportion of premature mortality, disability, and health expenditure across the Americas. Although effective interventions have existed for decades, access to timely diagnosis, essential medicines, and continuous, high-quality care remains profoundly unequal. As countries move toward universal health, expanding access remains essential—but access alone is no longer enough. Health systems must also improve the quality, continuity, and integration of care to translate broader coverage into meaningfully better health outcomes.
In this special issue of the Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública/Pan American Journal of Public Health, we bring together a collection of papers that reflects the evolution of HEARTS in the Americas and the growing experience accumulated by countries in improving the prevention and management of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) through primary health care (PHC). Collectively, these contributions demonstrate that advancing PHC is no longer an aspirational goal but an increasingly achievable reality. The papers also show that the next step is not simply to expand successful interventions, but to improve how health systems organize and deliver care so that more people benefit from integrated, high-quality services.
Few public health challenges are more urgent than improving the prevention and management of cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic (CKM) diseases. Together, these interconnected conditions account for a substantial proportion of premature mortality, disability, and health expenditure across the Americas. Although effective interventions have existed for decades, access to timely diagnosis, essential medicines, and continuous, high-quality care remains profoundly unequal. As countries move toward universal health, expanding access remains essential—but access alone is no longer enough. Health systems must also improve the quality, continuity, and integration of care to translate broader coverage into meaningfully better health outcomes.
Article's language
English
Editorial