Imran Manji

Engaging the Entire Care Cascade in Western Kenya: A Model to Achieve the Cardiovascular Disease Secondary Prevention Roadmap Goals

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the world, with a substantial health and economic burden confronted by low- and middle-income countries. In low-income countries such as Kenya, there exists a double burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and the CVD profile includes many nonatherosclerotic entities. Socio-politico-economic realities present challenges to CVD prevention in Kenya, including poverty, low national spending on health, significant out-of-pocket health expenditures, and limited outpatient health insurance. In addition, the health infrastructure is characterized by insufficient human resources for health, medication stock-outs, and lack of facilities and equipment. Within this socio-politico-economic reality, contextually appropriate programs for CVD prevention need to be developed. We describe our experience from western Kenya, where we have engaged the entire care cascade across all levels of the health system, in order to improve access to high-quality, comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable care for CVD and CVD risk factors. We report on several initiatives: 1) population-wide screening for hypertension and diabetes; 2) engagement of community resources and governance structures; 3) geographic decentralization of care services; 4) task redistribution to more efficiently use of available human resources for health; 5) ensuring a consistent supply of essential medicines; 6) improving physical infrastructure of rural health facilities; 7) developing an integrated health record; and 8) mobile health (mHealth) initiatives to provide clinical decision support and record-keeping functions. Although several challenges remain, there currently exists a critical window of opportunity to establish systems of care and prevention that can alter the trajectory of CVD in low-resource settings.

Building Sustainable Capacity for Cardiovascular Care at a Public Hospital in Western Kenya.

Cardiovascular disease deaths are increasing in low- and middle-income countries and are exacerbated by health care systems that are ill-equipped to manage chronic diseases. Global health partnerships, which have stemmed the tide of infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries, can be similarly applied to address cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we present the experiences of an academic partnership between North American and Kenyan medical centers to improve cardiovascular health in a national public referral hospital. We highlight our stepwise approach to developing sustainable cardiovascular services using the health system strengthening World Health Organization Framework for Action. The building blocks of this framework (leadership and governance, health workforce, health service delivery, health financing, access to essential medicines, and health information system) guided our comprehensive and sustainable approach to delivering subspecialty care in a resource-limited setting. Our experiences may guide the development of similar collaborations in other settings.

The Revolving Fund Pharmacy Model: backing up the Ministry of Health supply chain in western Kenya.

A pressing challenge in low and middle‐income countries (LMIC) is inadequate access to essential medicines, especially for chronic diseases. The Revolving Fund Pharmacy (RFP) model is an initiative to provide high‐quality medications consistently to patients, using revenues generated from the sale of medications to sustainably resupply medications. This article describes the utilization of RFPs developed by the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) with the aim of stimulating the implementation of similar models elsewhere to ensure sustainable access to quality and affordable medications in similar LMIC settings.

Clinical Pharmacy Consultations Provided by American and Kenyan Pharmacy Students During an Acute Care Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience

Objective. To compare the clinical consultations provided by American and Kenyan pharmacy students in an acute care setting in a developing country. Methods. The documented pharmacy consultation recommendations made by American and Kenyan pharmacy students during patient care rounds on an advanced pharmacy practice experience at a referral hospital in Kenya were reviewed and classified according to type of intervention and therapeutic area. Results. The Kenyan students documented more interventions than American students (16.7 vs. 12.0 interventions/day) and provided significantly more consultations regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and antibiotics. The top area of consultations provided by American students was cardiovascular diseases. Conclusions. American and Kenyan pharmacy students successfully providing clinical pharmacy consultations in a resource-constrained, acute-care practice setting suggests an important role for pharmacy students in the reconciliation of prescriber orders with medication administration records and in providing drug information.

Meeting the Needs of Underserved Patients in Western Kenya by Creating the Next Generation of Global Health Pharmacists

Objective. To describe a novel training model used to create a sustainable public health-focused pharmacy residency based in Kenya and to describe the outcomes of this training program on underserved populations. Design. The postgraduate year 2 residency was designed to expose trainees to the unique public health facets of inpatient, outpatient, and community-based care delivery in low and middle-income countries. Public health areas of focus included supply chain management, reproductive health, pediatrics, HIV, chronic disease management, and teaching. Assessment. The outcomes of the residency were assessed based on the number of new clinical programs developed by residents, articles and abstracts written by residents, and resident participation in grant writing. To date, six residents from the United States and eight Kenyan residents have completed the residency. Eleven sustainable patient care services have been implemented as a result of the residency program. Conclusion. This pharmacy residency training model developed accomplished pharmacists in public health pharmacy, with each residency class expanding funding and clinical programming, contributing to curriculum development, and creating jobs.

Ensuring Patient-Centered Access to Cardiovascular Disease Medicines in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries Through Health-System Strengthening

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of global mortality and is expected to reach 23 million deaths by 2030. Eighty percent of CVD deaths occur in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Although CVD prevention and treatment guidelines are available, translating these into practice is hampered in LMICs by inadequate health care systems that limit access to lifesaving medications. In this review article, we describe the deficiencies in the current LMIC supply chains that limit access to effective CVD medicines, and discuss existing solutions that are translatable to similar settings so as to address these deficiencies.

Clinical characteristics and 12-month outcomes of patients with valvular and non-valvular atrial fibrillation in Kenya

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major contributor to the global cardiovascular disease burden. The clinical profile and outcomes of AF patients with valvular heart diseases in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have not been adequately described. We assessed clinical features and 12-month outcomes of patients with valvular AF (vAF) in comparison to AF patients without valvular heart disease (nvAF) in western Kenya. Methods We performed a cohort study with retrospective data gathering to characterize risk factors and prospective data collection to characterize their hospitalization, stroke and mortality rates. Results The AF patients included 77 with vAF and 69 with nvAF. The mean (SD) age of vAF and nvAF patients were 37.9(14.5) and 69.4(12.3) years, respectively. There were significant differences (p<0.001) between vAF and nvAF patients with respect to female sex (78% vs. 55%), rates of hypertension (29% vs. 73%) and heart failure (10% vs. 49%). vAF patients were more likely to be taking anticoagulation therapy compared to those with nvAF (97% vs. 76%; p<0.01). After 12-months of follow-up, the overall mortality, hospitalization and stroke rates for vAF patients were high, at 10%, 34% and 5% respectively, and were similar to the rates in the nvAF patients (15%, 36%, and 5%, respectively). Conclusion Despite younger age and few comorbid conditions, patients with vAF in this developing country setting are at high risk for nonfatal and fatal outcomes, and are in need of interventions to improve short and long-term outcomes.

Needs assessment analysis for vitamin K antagonist anticoagulation in the resource-constrained setting of Eldoret, Kenya

OBJECTIVES To assess the frequency of indications for vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapy in the inpatient and outpatient setting in Eldoret, Kenya, and to describe the strategies used for managing these conditions. METHODS All inpatient admissions during a 1.5-month period were prospectively assessed for any indications for VKA therapy by clinical pharmacy staff. For the outpatient assessment, the files of all patients receiving care in the outpatient adult cardiology clinic within the previous 6 months were identified and evaluated for indications for VKA therapy. For patients identified with an indication for VKA therapy, additional information was collected, including the VKA indication, pharmacologic management, and any other risk-modifying conditions. RESULTS In the primary analysis, 20 of the 554 patients admitted to the public adult wards (3.61% [95% CI 2.14-5.08]) were candidates for VKA therapy. Of the 168 outpatient cardiology clinic charts reviewed, 72 patients (42.8% [37.96-47.76]) had indications for VKA therapy. In the secondary analysis, 70% of the inpatient population and 93% of the outpatient population received suboptimal VKA therapy. Of these patients in need of VKA therapy, 53.3% were on aspirin therapy only and 33.7% were not receiving any pharmacologic therapy. CONCLUSION As developing countries begin to address the growing burden of chronic diseases, a commensurate focus on providing infrastructure for comprehensive cardiovascular care, including an organized VKA monitoring service, needs to occur.

Integration of contraceptive services into anticoagulation management services improves access to long-acting reversible contraception

OBJECTIVE Integration of services is a promising way to improve access to contraception in sub-Saharan Africa, but few studies have evaluated this strategy to increase access to contraception among women requiring anticoagulation. Our objective was to evaluate a model of care integrating contraceptive counseling and provision within an anticoagulation management clinic in Eldoret, Kenya, to determine the impact on long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) use. STUDY DESIGN We performed a prospective observational study of reproductive-age women referred for integrated services from the anticoagulation management clinic at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital from March 2015 to March 2016. All participants received disease-specific contraceptive counseling and provision, free reversible methods (excluding hormonal intrauterine devices [IUDs]) and follow-up care. We compared LARC use 3 months postintervention to preintervention using the proportions test. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors related to use of contraceptive implants and copper IUDs. RESULTS Of 190 participants, 171 (90%) completed 3-month follow-up. There was a significant increase in contraceptive implant use from 10% to 19%, p=.02, and injectable contraceptive use from 14% to 24%, p=.013. There was a concomitant decrease in the use of no method/abstinence from 57% to 39% (33% decrease, p<.001). Younger age, having at least one child and discussing family planning with a partner were predictive of LARC use. CONCLUSION Integrating contraceptive services into an anticoagulation management clinic increases the use of highly effective contraception for women with cardiovascular disease. Implementation of similar models of care should be evaluated within other sites for chronic disease management. IMPLICATIONS A model of care integrating contraceptive counseling and provision into anticoagulation management services is an effective strategy to improve LARC and overall highly effective contraceptive use among women with cardiovascular disease requiring anticoagulation. This model of care may be utilized to prevent maternal morbidity and mortality among this high-risk population.

Venous Thromboembolism Requiring Extended Anticoagulation Among HIV-Infected Patients in a Rural, Resource-Constrained Setting in Western Kenya.

Background: HIV-infected patients are at an increased risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE), and minimal data are available to describe the need for extended treatment. Objective: To evaluate the frequency of and determine predictive risk factors for extended anticoagulation of VTE in HIV-infected patients in rural, western Kenya. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at the Anticoagulation Monitoring Service affiliated with Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare. Data were collected on patients who were HIV-infected and receiving anticoagulation for lower-limb deep vein thrombosis. The need for extended anticoagulation, defined as receiving ≥7 months of warfarin therapy, was established based on patient symptoms or Doppler ultrasound–confirmed diagnosis. Evaluation of the secondary outcomes utilized a univariate analysis to identify risk factors associated with extended anticoagulation. Results: A total of 71 patients were included in the analysis; 27 patients (38%) required extended anticoagulation. The univariate analysis showed a statistically significant association between the need for extended anticoagulation and achieving a therapeutic international normalized ratio within 21 days in both the unadjusted and adjusted analysis. Patients with a history of opportunistic infections required an extended duration of anticoagulation in the adjusted analysis: odds ratio = 3.42; 95% CI = 1.04-11.32; P = 0.04. Conclusions: This study shows that there may be a need for increased duration of anticoagulation in HIV-infected patients, with a need to address the issue of long-term management. Guideline recommendations are needed to address the complexity of treatment issues in this population.