Mount Sinai Secures Grant for Rural Ghana Heart Study
The $3.3 million funding supports a randomized trial testing a community-based hypertension care model.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Heart Disease
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Mount Sinai received a $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate a new hypertension care model in rural Ghana. Researchers will compare community-based care against standard clinic-based treatment to improve access for patients.
Why it matters
This model aims to make chronic disease management more accessible and less costly by reducing the need for patients to travel to distant health centers. The study seeks to address critical barriers to hypertension control in underserved regions.
A pilot study showed 86 percent of 37 participants achieved normal blood pressure within a 90-day period. The upcoming randomized clinical trial will evaluate this model across 504 adult participants.
The players
Mount Sinai Health System
This academic medical center headquartered in New York City serves as the lead institution for the international research project.
National Institutes of Health
This primary agency of the United States government is responsible for biomedical and public health research.
Navrongo Health Research Centre
Located in Ghana, this research institution conducts studies to improve health outcomes in northern rural communities.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
This component of the National Institutes of Health provides global leadership for research, training, and education programs in heart and lung diseases.
The details
Nurses and health workers will provide medication and counseling directly in patients homes as part of the new community-based care structure. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the Mount Sinai Health System and the Navrongo Health Research Centre.
Timeline
A pilot study of hypertension treatment lasted 90 days.
The clinical trial is scheduled to begin in fall 2027.
The clinical trial will run for a duration of three years.
Health Landscape
This study aligns with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute global cardiovascular health programs by testing scalable, low-cost interventions for hypertension in low-resource settings. It follows a pattern set by the Institute's support for decentralized, community-driven health care models.
The study evaluates whether providing blood pressure management at home can improve outcomes compared to traditional clinic-based visits. If successful, this model could eventually inform how health systems deliver care in remote or underserved areas globally.
The takeaway
This research highlights the potential for community-based models to improve chronic disease management by bringing medical resources directly to the patient. Effective blood pressure control at home can significantly reduce the burden on centralized health facilities.
Further reading
For more information on current diagnostic trends and management strategies, visit the Heart Disease section.
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Should medical care for chronic conditions be shifted from clinics directly into patient homes?
