Population aging, economic development, and urbanization have led to an epidemiological transition in low- and middle-income countries. Today, approximately 2 out of every 3 deaths globally are attributable to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, about 80% in low- and middle-income countries. Catastrophic household expenditures on treatment and lost productivity from these diseases have brought them to the forefront of discussions on global development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet major research gaps remain.
The GHP Project on Access to Care for Cardiometabolic Diseases (HPACC) is a multinational collaboration between researchers in the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and partners in Boston, Germany, the UK, Australia, the Caribbean, India, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Costa Rica, Fiji, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Malawi, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nepal, Romania, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, and Tanzania.
In the first phase of HPACC, we will collate and analyze existing data from large, nationally representative population-based surveys to address the following specific aims: (1) to quantify health system performance for diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and multimorbidity, and (2) to estimate the association of distal (socio-economic characteristics) and proximal factors (tobacco, alcohol, diet, exercise, and obesity) with these NCD risk factors. In the next phase, we will design and implement interventions and policies to address unmet need for care for these cardiometabolic diseases, and primary prevention by targeting unhealthy diets and obesity.
We live in an age of complex problems that will require team science to come up with solutions. HPACC is an ambitious attempt to address care for cardiometabolic diseases and their prevention on a global scale.
Current Members :
Lindsay Jaacks
Jen Manne-Goehler
Pascal Geldsetzer
Rifat Atun
Sebastian Vollmer
Till Bärnighausen
Maja Marcus
Cara Ebert
Michaela Theilmann
Vera Sagalova
Yuanwei Xu
Sarah Frank
Marissa Persaud-Lachhman
Jacqueline Seiglie
