Improving cardiovascular risk in Uzbekistan: Implementing a package of essential interventions to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases successfully involved nurses and found missing men (2018)

The Kashkadarya and Ferghana regions in Uzbekistan implemented an integrated model for prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The model combined community-level support for behaviour change in NCD risk factors with changes to primary health service delivery to stratify and manage patients with cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors. Implementing clinical protocols led to greater coverage of the target population and improved CVR stratification, detection and control of risk factors, and detection of arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. It also led to better organization of care, increased task-sharing between doctors and nurses, enhanced the role of nurses in primary health care (PHC), and increased the engagement of men in NCD prevention.