The PRISM Health Initiative, piloted through FRIEND, has been created to optimize the management of NCDs within the most underserved communities of Fiji. Thus far the initiative has incorporated seven communities into the program and should have a total of 16 by mid-June. Not only has the health initiative grown rapidly, it has rendered results possibly never seen before in the management of NCDs in Fiji. Here are just a couple of these mind-boggling results: Of patients diagnosed with high blood pressure greater than 160/100, there has been an average drop of 27 points systolic (top number) and 13 points diastolic (bottom number) for those patients who have attended at least 3 appointments within 6 weeks of the program’s inception
