May Measurement Month 2018: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Malawi

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Cardiology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Raised blood pressure (hypertension) is a significant global health issue, causing millions of deaths annually.
• May Measurement Month (MMM) is an international campaign to raise awareness and screen for elevated blood pressure.
• Malawi has a substantial burden of hypertension, necessitating effective screening and management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of raised blood pressure in Malawi through opportunistic screening.
• To evaluate the awareness and treatment status of hypertension among the screened population.
• To determine the proportion of hypertensive individuals on treatment with uncontrolled blood pressure.

Main Methods:

• An opportunistic cross-sectional survey conducted in May-June 2018 across multiple districts in Malawi.
• Involved screening 10,791 volunteers aged 18 years and above in diverse settings like hospitals, marketplaces, and religious centers.
• Data analysis included multiple imputation to determine hypertension prevalence and treatment control.

Main Results:

• A hypertension prevalence of 22.3% (2404 individuals) was identified after multiple imputation.
• Among those not on treatment, 20.0% had raised blood pressure.
• Only 12.6% of hypertensive individuals were on treatment, and 33.3% of those had uncontrolled blood pressure.

Conclusions:

• The May Measurement Month campaign in Malawi identified a substantial number of individuals with undiagnosed and untreated raised blood pressure.
• A significant proportion of patients on antihypertensive treatment had uncontrolled blood pressure, indicating a need for enhanced hypertension management.
• Opportunistic screening is an effective strategy for detecting a large number of individuals with raised blood pressure.