The Guyana Program to Advance Cardiac Care: A Model for Equitable Cardiovascular Care Delivery

Abstract

Guyana is one of the poorest countries in South America, with the highest rate of cardiovascular mortality on the continent. As is the case in many low- and middle-income countries, cardiovascular care is available through the private sector but is not accessible to much of the urban and rural poor. We present the 10-year experience of the Guyana Program to Advance Cardiac Care (GPACC), an academic partnership aiming to provide high-quality, equitable cardiovascular care in Georgetown’s only public hospital. We discuss the implementation of a cardiac care program using the World Health Organization Framework for Action, outlining vital components for care delivery in resource-limited settings. GPACC was able to demonstrate that targeted investment, education of clinicians, and cohesive healthcare delivery strategies can contribute to sustainable service delivery for Guyana’s largest burden of disease. This structured approach may provide lessons for implementation of similar programs in other resource-limited settings. Highlights • In many LMICs, specialized cardiovascular care is available in the private, but not public, sector. • The WHO Framework for Action can guide development of sustainable programs in low-resource settings. • GPACC can serve as a successful and innovative model for delivery of sustainable cardiovascular care.

Keywords

• cardiovascular disease
• global health
• health systems
• low-resource settings
• guyana