Within the framework of the Better Care for NCDs initiative, Costa Rica formally incorporated the HEARTS clinical pathway into the first level of care, as a result of close technical cooperation between PAHO and the Costa Rican Social Security Fund.

Following two years of technical support, a clinical care protocol for adults and older adults with elevated blood pressure and arterial hypertension was approved, formally integrating the HEARTS approach to standardize prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up at the primary care level. PAHO contributed evidence, normative tools, and methodological support to adapt the model to the national context, strengthening the capacities of primary health care teams.

This achievement directly contributes to improving the quality of care for cardiovascular diseases, one of the leading causes of mortality in the country, and lays the foundations for reducing complications, avoidable deaths, and associated costs, while reinforcing the resolutive capacity of health services.

Photo credit: PAHO