Public- and private-sector stakeholders from across society are all playing a role in fighting hypertension.

Given its multifactorial causes, no single player can deal with cardiovascular disease (CVD) alone. CVD is the world’s leading cause of death and to truly address this burden, health authorities need to take a population approach to lower overall cardiovascular (CV) risk, rather than focus on treating the condition when symptoms arise.

It is essential that public and private sector stakeholders from across society – spanning health, urban planning, finance, technology, education, work, insurance, food and agriculture – all play a role. The main “end users” (health providers and patients) must also participate through relevant professional and patient associations.

Key interventions and indicators

Articulate the overall goal for a population health approach and align all partners behind it. Identifying common challenges, mutual goals beyond health and joint benefits can help foster further engagement between sectors
Determine the expertise and resources needed to achieve the goal and conduct a mapping to identify the best fitted partners – involve a combination of public-private stakeholders and end-users in a design thinking process to co-create solutions
Complete a situational assessment at baseline, using questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, workshops, field observations (with patients, health professionals, health center managers, city authorities) to start outlining the most important solutions
Bring investors together around similar objectives to bundle and align social investments for bigger impact

The indicators below can come from a variety of sources (primary and secondary data collection, national or regional surveys and databases).

Intersectoral collaboration

Establishment of a multi-sector steering committee by city health authorities
# of partners from sectors and disciplines other than health (education, IT and communication, food and agriculture, transport and mobility, mobility, transport, sports or urban planning sector, etc.)
# of workplace programs
# of patient associations/representatives participating in the steering committee
# of professional associations/representatives participating in the steering committee
# of steering committee meetings where >80% of the partners participate
% increase in availability of healthy food options across the city

Improvement of physical exercise and nutrition in schools

Integration of CV risk factor education in national school curriculum
% of schools offering nutrition courses
% of schools offering physical activity courses
% of school children that are overweight or obese based on WHO child growth standards
% of available snacks with high nutritional value based on WHO regional nutrient profile models
% of snacks containing permitted vs. non-permitted foods according to WHO regional nutrient profile models

Kids doing exercise outside at school, addressing heart health in disadvantaged schools in South Africa

Highlights

CARDIO approach – Intersectoral collaboration

Learn more

Additional external resources

Reference documents and literature

Image showing telemedicine employees in Ghana at their workplace

Previous pillar: Leverage data and digital technology

Beside the collection and use of real-time data, digital technology provides an array of opportunities to transform the way health and care are delivered.

Image of a fruit seller standing in front of a fruit stand

Next pillar: Ensure local ownership

Local authorities and local partners should own the design, implementation and monitoring of interventions and solutions to fight hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Recommendations described herein were developed by the Novartis Foundation and/or its partners as part of the Better Hearts Better Cities and other initiatives; before local implementation, interested parties must ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including local industry codes and institutional policies. Links and content may be subject to change without notification.

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