Rapidly adapted community health strategies to prevent treatment interruption and improve COVID-19 detection for Syrian refugees and the host population with hypertension and diabetes in Jordan.

Background: We evaluated community health volunteer (CHV) strategies to prevent non-communicable disease (NCD) care disruption and promote coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) detection among Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians, as the pandemic started.

Methods: Alongside medication delivery, CHVs called patients monthly to assess stockouts and adherence, provide self-management and psychosocial support, and screen and refer for complications and COVID-19 testing. Cohort analysis was undertaken of stockouts, adherence, complications and suspected COVID-19.

Adaptation of care for non-communicable diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic: a global case study.

People living with non-communicable diseases (PLWNCDs) are at greater risk of severe COVID-19 illness. This case study highlights the adaptations that were made to humanitarian health programmes in five countries to reduce exposure risk for PLWNCDs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Common adaptations included facility-level administrative and engineering controls, improved triaging, change in prescribing practices, decrease in frequency of stable patient visits, shift to remote consultations and expanded scope of responsibility for existing community health workers.

Integrating community health volunteers into non-communicable disease management among Syrian refugees in Jordan: a causal loop analysis.

Objectives: Globally, there is emerging evidence on the use of community health workers and volunteers in low-income and middle-income settings for the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), provision of out-of-clinic screening, linkage with health services, promotion of adherence, and counselling on lifestyle and dietary changes. Little guidance exists on the role of this workforce in supporting NCD care for refugees who lack access to continuous care in their host country. The goals of this work were to evaluate the current roles of community health volunteers (CHVs) in the management of diabetes and hypertension (HTN) among Syrian refugees and to suggest improvements to the current primary care model using community health strategies.

Access to Care and Prevalence of Hypertension and Diabetes Among Syrian Refugees in Northern Jordan.

Importance: The management of noncommunicable diseases in humanitarian crises has been slow to progress from episodic care. Understanding disease burden and access to care among crisis-affected populations can inform more comprehensive management.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes with biological measures and to evaluate access to care among Syrian refugees in northern Jordan.