Silence the Silent Killer 'High Blood Pressure'

Dear Partner,

It is wonderful to share what you helped make possible this quarter as we continue working together to Silence the Silent Killer in the underserved communities of Tharaka Nithi, Kenya.

With your support, 51,683 underserved individuals were screened for high blood pressure this quarter, and 2,329 were diagnosed with high blood pressure and guided to care at nearby health facilities. Hypertension often shows no symptoms until serious complications appear. Because of you, underserved people who previously had no idea they were at risk now understand their numbers and can seek care before a crisis occurs.

To keep these screenings reaching families in their homes, we also focused on strengthening the capacity of people who lead this work on the ground. 47 Community Health Promoter (CHP) Leads in Tharaka participated in a virtual training on hypertension screening, education, and referral.

These leaders play a vital role in the community health system. After the training, each of the 47 CHP Leads will cascade the knowledge gained to 10 CHPs whom they supervise, strengthening the skills of 470 health workers who conduct home visits, screen for blood pressure, educate families, and refer anyone diagnosed with high blood pressure.

For many households, a visit from a CHP is the only opportunity to have their blood pressure checked. During these visits, CHPs also help families understand the dangers of uncontrolled hypertension, encourage healthy habits, and follow up with those already diagnosed to ensure they are consistent with treatment.

To support this work, we also provided batteries for digital blood pressure monitors that will power 470 blood pressure machines for the next six months. These batteries were distributed through the trained CHP Leads to the CHPs they support. Two pairs of batteries power one blood pressure machine for six months, allowing each CHP to perform required screenings during that time.

The blood pressure machine is the most important tool a CHP carries. It is the detector against silent killers like hypertension and a critical safeguard during visits to elderly residents and pregnant women. But right now, we face a gap we cannot ignore.

795 CHPs still need two pairs of batteries each to power their monitors for the next six months. Without working batteries, these diagnostic tools cannot be used. That means vulnerable households—elderly grandparents, pregnant mothers who have never had their pressure checked—may miss the only opportunity for early detection they will get this year.

We have already seen the results when screenings happen. The 2,329 people we found this quarter are now connected to care. But for every person we reached, another may go unseen if our CHPs arrive at a doorstep with a dead machine.

Here is what your support can do right now:

• $5 provides two pairs of batteries—enough to power one CHP's monitor for six months and perform hundreds of screenings.
• $10 ensures two CHPs can continue screening families in their assigned villages.
• $50 keeps ten CHPs fully operational, reaching approximately 500 households.

Blood pressure readings can prevent tragedy. It can reveal a hypertensive crisis before it leads to a stroke or heart failure. For a pregnant woman in a remote village, it can mean identifying a life-threatening complication early enough to seek care.

We have the trained CHPs. We have the blood pressure machines. We have the referral systems in place. The only thing standing between 795 blood pressure machines and 6 more months of screenings is 2 pairs of batteries for each.

If you know someone who believes that hypertension screening should be accessible to everyone, we would love for you to connect them to this work. Many of our partnerships begin with a simple conversation.

We also warmly invite you to stay connected through www.villagehopecore.org, where we share stories from the field, blogs, podcasts, and updates from the communities you help serve.

Thank you for standing with communities to silence the silent killer. Your partnership ensures that screenings, education, and early referrals continue reaching underserved families who might otherwise go without this care.

With sincere gratitude for your partnership,
Meriba Mwende,
Partnerships and Fundraising Coordinator,
Village HopeCore International