Evaluating the cascade of care for hypertension in Sierra Leone

Objective To assess the care for hypertension in Sierra Leone, by the use of a cascade-of-care approach, to identify where the need for healthcare system interventions is greatest. Methods Using data from a nationwide household survey on surgical conditions undertaken in 1.956 participants ≥18 years from October 2019 till March 2020, a cascade of care for hypertension consisting of four categories - hypertensive population, those diagnosed, those treated and those controlled - was constructed. Hypertension was defined as having a blood pressure ≥140/90mmHg, or self-reported use of antihypertensive medication. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with undiagnosed hypertension. Results The prevalence of hypertension was 22%. Male sex, age 18-34 years and living in a rural location were significantly associated with the odds of undiagnosed hypertension. Among those with hypertension, 23% were diagnosed, 11% were treated, and 5% had controlled blood pressure. The largest loss to care (77%) was between being hypertensive and receiving a diagnosis. There was no significant difference between men and women in the number of patients with controlled blood pressure. Adults aged 40 or older were observed to be better retained in care compared to those younger than 40 years of age. Conclusion There is a significant loss to care in the care cascade of hypertension in Sierra Leone. Our results suggests that increasing awareness of cardiovascular risk and risk factor screening for early diagnosis might have a large impact on hypertension care.