Kenya, like most African countries, is undergoing a transformation culturally, economically, and in its health care: due to improved medicines and health practices, infections (TB, Malaria, HIV) as causes of death are thankfully coming down. Yet now, because of an increasingly Western lifestyle with more obesity and less exercise, Heart Attacks and Strokes, which can be prevented with blood pressure and blood sugar control, are rising alarmingly. In addition, Africa has the highest rate of Hypertension (persistent High Blood Pressure) globally: more than 30% and rising. People in Kenya, as young as 40’s and 50’s, are now dying in more significant numbers than ever due to unrecognized and untreated Hypertension and Diabetes. Of the cardiovascular risks, Hypertension is the easiest to screen for and treat, yet 66% of Kenyans have never had their BP checked, 80% of Hypertension in Kenya is unrecognized, and only 10% is treated at all. Primary care, where blood pressure and blood sugar are screened, is in its infancy: only 2% of the population has health insurance, so people pay out of pocket for their medical costs and are focused on illness rather than preventive care. Hypertension in Kenya is behind in both recognition and treatment.

In 2023, I started making trips to Kenya to screen for Hypertension, first in rural clinics and now in Nairobi, where over a million people live in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa: a place with many healthcare needs. I am working in the FAFU clinic in Kibera, operated by Crossing Thresholds, to start their Hypertension clinic, where help is needed to purchase anti-Hypertensive medicines.