Building Health Capacities Through the HEARTS Initiative in the Dominican Republic

Abstract

Continuous education of health teams is essential to ensure outcomes that have a positive impact on community health. In 2019, through an agreement with the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MISPAS), the Dominican Republic began implementing HEARTS, an initiative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). This aligned MISPAS with global best practices for the prevention and management of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, with a view to reducing mortality rates due to this noncommunicable disease (NCD). Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, which is the NCD responsible for the most deaths worldwide. Medical interns in the Dominican Republic have the enormous task of providing timely diagnosis and treatment for people with high blood pressure and various cardiovascular risk factors. In the country's health system, therefore, it is a priority to train and educate undergraduate students before they become medical interns. The HEARTS initiative has produced a series of high-quality virtual courses that are free of charge and available year-round at PAHO's Virtual Campus for Public Health. Through an agreement with MISPAS, these courses are a unique opportunity for medical schools that are members of the Dominican Association of Medical Schools and Faculties (ADOFEM) to use e-learning as an innovative and powerful tool to train members of healthcare teams.