NWU professor helps shape Africa’s first hypertension guidelines
Researchers have launched the first comprehensive hypertension guidelines specifically tailored for the African continent. The guidelines emphasize a life-course approach, recommending early screening for children and improved training for non-physician healthcare workers.
Why it matters
Hypertension is a leading cause of mortality in Africa, and these guidelines provide a localized framework to improve cardiovascular health outcomes across diverse healthcare systems.
The recent launch of the first comprehensive hypertension guidelines developed specifically for Africa marks an important step in addressing one of the continent’s most significant health challenges, according to the authors of the document, published in the Journal of Hypertension .
One of the experts who contributed was Professor Ruan Kruger, a researcher in paediatric hypertension and member of North-West University ’s (NWU) Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART).
The International Society of Hypertension Africa Regional Advisory Group and the Pan African Society of Cardiology developed the guidelines, which Kruger said provide practical, evidence-based recommendations tailored to the realities of African healthcare systems to strengthen primary healthcare, expand community-based screening and support non-physician healthcare workers in providing hypertension care.
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