Ongoing
PATH is a global organisation founded in 1977 with 70+ country offices across the world and 1,600+ employees, headquartered in Seattle USA. PATH has 12 large country programs including in Kenya, working across 7 health program areas including NCD. PATH has been implementing NCD programs since 1996 and specifically CVD and diabetes programs since 2012 in 10 countries, reaching 1M people with screening services and linkage to care for those diagnosed with NCDs and reached 1.5M+ people with health education NCD messaging.
Trough PATH's implementation of Healthy Heart Africa PEPFAR (HHA) in western Kenya, they found that integrated service delivery models for HIV and HTN, are an effective "one-stop-shop". This approach offers opportunities to screen/provide linkage to care for PLWHIV who also have HTN, and increases HIV/HTN case finding in hard to reach populations. With the support of LINKS, PATH will implement innovations from their current HIV program in Kenya, scale uptake of HTN care at the primary healthcare level, and achieve positive clinical and quality of life outcomes for people living with HIV and HTN.
"In referring to the 2015 Kenya STEPS survey, 71% of men and 41% of women had never been screened for HTN in Kenya. Of those diagnosed, 8% were on treatment with only 3% being well controlled. However, overall NCDs contribute to close to 55% all hospitalization in Kenya and about 50% all mortality (MOH 2019). ... Thus, in many instances, CVD has been referred to as the 'silent killer disease' and a great health burden to the country, family and individuals afflicted by CVD. This burden has not been given sufficient attention and resources previously, and prompted PATH to contribute to this effort in slowing and reversing the tide of CVD in Kenya."
- Edward Kariithi, PATH Kenya NCD Lead
