Abbott Fund Program to Improve Cardiac Care in Rwanda

Since 2007, Partners In Health coordinated a heart failure treatment and prevention initiative in two district hospitals in Rwanda (Rwinkwavu and Kirehe). The heart failure treatment program supports nurse-driven clinics providing routine heart exams and medications, daily patient home visits by community health care workers, and collaboration with cardiac surgical teams. In 2008, Abbott provided the Cardiac Health Initiative with Abbott's i-STAT handheld analyzer, which provides clinic staff with rapid results for commonly ordered medical tests. Through these donated diagnostic instruments, Partners In Health was able to identify and treat 239 patients with heart failure to date, as well as identify and help manage care for patients with renal failure and other complex needs in rural parts of Rwanda.