Hypertension Assessment and Education in Carries, Haiti

                 Hypertension remains the leading global burden of disease.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC,2015), Hypertension is known as the silent killer because it is a very dangerous and common condition. A person can have hypertension for many years without knowing because it presents with no warning signs or symptoms, which why it is important to check the blood pressure regularly (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). Based on statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2013), “approximately 40% of adults aged 25 and above had been diagnosed with hypertension; the number of people with the condition rose from 600 million in 1980 to 1 billion in 2008”.

            This presentation is a description of the enormity of the hypertension problem in Haiti. It includes assessments, education, and behavior modification for high blood pressure in relation with culture and environment. One of our main focuses in Haiti was performing assessments and educating the public about hypertension. The main problem is that the people of Haiti are not seen by health care professionals on a regular basis, so they are not able to check their blood pressure regularly. Since medical resources are scarce, it was very important to focus on hypertension assessment and teach the public about the different ways that the condition could be prevented or controlled.

              In June 2015, we travelled to Haiti as part of a travel abroad course to complete a clinical project involving the residents of Carries. During our stay, we provided nursing care and education to patients at the local clinic, the residents of an elderly home, and young adults at an orphanage. One of our main focuses was to teach about diet modification and lifestyle changes that can be done to prevent and control hypertension. Diet education consists of eating a low sodium, low fat diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables (CDC, 2015). We provided education about the dangers of alcohol consumption and smoking, their relation to hypertension, and encouraged people to quit. The people with hypertension were prescribed antihypertensive medications and were educated on how to take them. They were also educated to not stop taking the medications abruptly and to go to the nearest free clinic to get more medication before they ran out. Education was also provided on the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and stroke, because hypertension is the main risk factor for both.

        The essence of poverty makes controlling and preventing hypertension in the Haitian population very challenging. Many Haitian people do not have access to healthcare nor the luxury to eat whatever they want, which makes hypertension management very difficult. It was important to teach them about dietary modification, and encourage them to include the natural food that they grow in their everyday diet. While it was challenging to teach on hypertension management; we realized that many of the people who came to the clinic do not have the necessary means to manage their health.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015, February  19). High blood pressure. Retrieved from     

                   http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/

World Health Organization. (2013). A global brief on hypertension. Retrieved from    

                  http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/79059/1/WHO_DCO_WHD_2013.2_eng.pdf?ua=1