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[Note: This case study was originally published in 2009. Download a PDF or read the case study here.]

To say cardiovascular disease is a problem in Uzbekistan would be something of an understatement. It is, in fact, epidemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 56 percent of all deaths in the former Soviet central Asian republic are caused by this silent yet efficient killer. Many of them are premature, the likely consequence of multiple risk factors, such as heredity, tobacco use, physical inactivity, and untreated hypertension and high blood cholesterol. It has long been clear to many Uzbek physicians that preventive interventions are urgently needed to diffuse what is clearly a ballooning health care crisis.

Lessons Learned:

• Design your health program in response to a locally identified need.
• An influential in-country champion will be an asset to your program.
• A chronic disease program must have a strong monitoring component.
• Make sure you are cognizant of the resource constraints of participating organizations.
• Build capacity to ensure your program’s sustainability.