Authors: Mahesh Pundlik Kate, Clarence Samuel, Shavinder Singh, Maneeta Jain, Deepshikha Kamra, G B Singh, Meenakshi Sharma, Jeyaraj Durai Pandian
The purpose of this study was to test if Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) can help in the sustained control of systolic blood pressure (BP) among rural Indian residents with stroke and hypertension. Two rural areas, Pakhowal and Sidhwan, were screened for people with stroke and hypertension. Those who met the inclusion criteria were assigned to either receive the ASHA-assisted BP control in addition to the standard-of-care or to receive the standard-of-care alone. Subsequent results demonstrated lower BP in the intervention group compared to the control group at follow-up. A total of 69.2% of patients in the intervention group achieved systolic BP control compared to 18.9% in the control group. These findings suggest that task-sharing with ASHAs can help improve BP control in rural communities where stroke and hypertension are prevalent, while also aiding in communities’ adoption of healthy behaviors.
Link: Community health volunteer for blood pressure control in rural people with stroke in India: Pilot randomised trial
Resource Topic: Blood pressure control, CHVs
Resource Type: Research
Year: 2023
Region: Asia
Country: India
Publisher May Restrict Access: No