AstraZeneca’s flagship health equity programme, Healthy Heart Africa (HHA) has run over 67 million hypertension screenings in Nigeria and other African countries in the past 10 years, the company said on Monday.
Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and accounts for a significant portion of noncommunicable disease (NCD) deaths globally.
In Africa, over 27 percent of adults live with hypertension, far above the global average.
Since its launch, HHA has conducted over 67 million blood pressure screenings, trained over 11,700 healthcare workers, and activated over 1,550 healthcare facilities across nine African countries in Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Tanzania including the Island of Zanzibar.
These efforts have significantly improved access to hypertension diagnosis and treatment, saving countless lives.
Ruud Dobber, president, BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit, AstraZeneca, said: “Healthy Heart Africa epitomises AstraZeneca’s commitment to equitable healthcare. In a decade, we’ve empowered millions to manage their heart health. Now, we’ve expanded to tackle chronic kidney disease, ensuring greater resilience in health systems across the continent.”
The programme has started addressing chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is closely linked to hypertension and affects 15.8 percent of Africans.
Early detection and management are critical, as CKD often progresses silently. HHA aims to improve access to timely diagnosis and treatment, reducing the burden of this disease across communities.
This commemoration sets the stage for the upcoming World Health Organization’s High-Level Meeting on NCDs, reinforcing the urgency of collective action. One facet of the programme’s success is built on strong partnerships with governments, NGOs, and community leaders to deliver culturally tailored interventions.
Helen McGuire, global program leader, PATH, also noted that the programme with AstraZeneca has been truly transformative.
Seeing the scale-up and institutionalisation of integrated and expanded NCD services, particularly in countries like Ghana, has been immensely rewarding, she said. “The introduction of NCD indicators into national health information systems represents a major milestone, enabling better planning, resource allocation, and outcome monitoring,” McGuire.
With its proven model – the Healthy Heart Africa programme aims to expand to new regions, integrating climate-resilient healthcare solutions and prioritising early detection to prevent disease progression.
Through such innovative partnerships, the programme aims to deliver care to those most in need.
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