Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
Prevention and Care Program in Rural Lampung, Indonesia

Through the field research MediAccess conducted this past June, we confirmed that Lampung already has basic health resources in place, including Posyandu, Kaders, community health centers, and hospitals. Yet gaps remained in the process of preventing chronic disease, detecting risk factors early, and connecting residents to the treatment and ongoing care they need.

Having identified these gaps, MediAccess partnered with our local partner, Mardi Waluyo Hospital, to hold health screenings for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease prevention and care. We ran lipid blood tests for village residents and followed up with health education and prescriptions based on the results. This was the first time blood tests had been held in these villages, and the first time residents had ever had a lipid test, so it marked a meaningful first step for community health care.

MediAccess conducted lipid tests for a total of 198 people in two villages: Batu Badak and Girikarto in Sekampung. MediAccess provided the test kits, and our local partner, Mardi Waluyo Hospital, performed the tests and collected the data at the medical outreach sites.

Many participants were older adults, with an average age of 60.3 (range 26–100). Major risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease were high: dyslipidemia (cholesterol or triglyceride levels outside the normal range) at 86.9%, a history of hypertension at 84.3%, and low HDL (the 'good' cholesterol that protects the heart and blood vessels, which fell below the reference level) at 69.7%. Dyslipidemia was found in about 9 out of 10 people, yet many were receiving no treatment or care for it.

Based on all the results, we identified 41 high-risk residents (20.7%) who need further treatment and care. We performed echocardiograms on 39 residents for whom they were clinically indicated, and found abnormalities in 19 of them. We did not stop at checking the numbers: health education and prescriptions were given on site. Residents identified as high-risk were also connected to ongoing follow-up care at Mardi Waluyo Hospital.

This is especially meaningful because, in an area where even basic tests and screening are hard to come by, real data showed us residents' health status and the direction their care needs to take.

"Beyond general care, we used blood tests so residents could understand and manage their own chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. We handed out education materials and gave prescriptions based on the results. We provided this special care so that it would not end with this one visit, but continue as ongoing care." — Team Leader, MediAccess Manoah Team

MediAccess aims to build a three-step care system: detect in the village → diagnose and treat at a medical facility → manage again in the community. In the village, risk factors are detected early, and residents who need it are connected to medical facilities for thorough diagnosis and treatment. After that, their health is managed on an ongoing basis through medication and lifestyle changes. To keep this whole process running reliably, training for local health workers and hospital staff will also be provided.

This pilot project is a first step that showed what cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease prevention and care can look like in Lampung. Rather than stopping at one-time treatment or a simple health check, we want to create an environment where residents know their own health risks and can receive the care they need on an ongoing basis. We hope the small change that began in Lampung will grow into a sustainable community health model that can be applied in other regions as well.

For Lampung's prevention and care program to become ongoing care rather than end with a single round of tests, we need your help. MediAccess welcomes regular donations, medicine donations, medical professionals, and volunteers.

MediAccess is a global medical NGO founded by CMN, which has carried out medical missions for 40 years, to connect more medical professionals with people in medically underserved areas and to serve them.