Can a low-resource-use blood pressure device impact on global maternal mortality?

BACKGROUND: Hypertension in pregnancy in the developing world is largely underreported, misdiagnosed, and untreated, especially in rural settings, though it contributes significantly to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. To reduce general global cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality, the World Health Organization aims to develop and validate low-resource-use blood pressure devices for use in developing nations. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: To describe how existing antenatal care systems provide a useful and relevant model through which to evaluate the potential for this initiative to be applied in low-resource settings and to offer opportunities for much needed further research.