Zambia launches CRADLE-B project to tackle hypertension and preeclampsia in pregnant women

Monday, February 2, 2026 – Lusaka

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the detection and long-term management of pregnancy-related hypertension and preeclampsia, conditions that remain among the leading causes of preventable maternal deaths in Zambia, reports Francis Lungu.

Speaking on behalf of Permanent Secretary Dr Kennedy Lishimpi at the two-day CRADLE-B launch and Theory of Change workshop at Lusaka’s Intercontinental Hotel, on Haile Selassie Avenue, Ministry of Health Director Dr. Matilda Kakungu-Simpungwe said pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia affect an estimated 21 percent and 12 percent of pregnant women respectively, placing a heavy burden on maternal health outcomes.

Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe noted that for every woman who dies from preeclampsia, between 50 and 100 others suffer severe complications, underscoring the urgent need for improved prevention, early detection and follow-up care.

Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe acknowledged progress made by the Ministry of Health, including expanded antenatal care services across all 10 provinces, increased numbers of skilled health workers and improved emergency obstetric services.

However, Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe stressed that major gaps remain, particularly in continuity of care and long-term monitoring of women with hypertension.

“These women face a dual burden of high-risk pregnancies and future cardiometabolic disease, contributing to a lifetime risk that is significantly higher in low-income countries than in high-income settings. We must do better,” Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe said.

Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe explained that women with a history of pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia are at increased risk of developing long-term cardiovascular diseases, yet many are denied follow-up care after delivery.

Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe described the five-year CRADLE-B project, funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research and led by King’s College London in partnership with the University of Zambia (UNZA), as a timely and critical intervention.

The project seeks to determine whether community-based interventions can improve the detection and management of hypertension during and after pregnancy, while strengthening links between communities and health facilities.

According to Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe, the initiative aligns with Zambia’s National Health Policy through four key pillars: establishing community partnerships to design culturally appropriate interventions; generating local evidence from a study involving more than 2,400 women in Zambia; empowering community champions to build trust and provide health education; and strengthening research and training capacity among health professionals.

Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe said the Ministry of Health is ready to provide regulatory support, access to public health facilities and, most importantly, to translate research findings into actionable national policies.

“Evidence without implementation is merely academic. We aim to use these findings to save lives by intervening early and reducing the long-term burden of cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe said.

Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe emphasized that Zambia’s national health agenda promotes a continuum of care from preconception through pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period, and that CRADLE-B supports this vision.

Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe added that by the project’s conclusion in 2030, Zambia expects to have a strong network of trained researchers capable of sustaining this vital work.

The Ministry of Health also pledged to ensure that health workers are adequately trained to provide post-preeclampsia and post-hypertension services, so that affected women receive definitive follow-up care after delivery.

Dr Kakungu-Simpungwe expressed gratitude to the National Institute for Health Research, King’s College London, the University of Zambia School of Medicine and all partners supporting the initiative.

“This project is more than research. It is an investment in the future of Zambia. We want Zambian women not merely to survive childbirth, but to thrive for decades afterward,” Dr. Kakungu-Simpungwe said, before officially launching the CRADLE-B research project in Zambia.

The CRADLE (Community Blood Pressure Monitoring in Rural Africa and Asia: Detection of Underlying Pre-eclampsia and Shock) project is strengthening maternal health systems in Sierra Leone, South Africa and Zambia by improving early detection and response to pregnancy complications linked to non-communicable diseases, particularly hypertensive disorders such as pre-eclampsia.

At the centre of the initiative is the CRADLE Vital Signs Alert (VSA) device, a low-cost, portable blood pressure and pulse monitor designed for low-resource settings.

The device uses a simple traffic-light alert system to help frontline health workers quickly identify women at risk of severe hypertension or shock and take timely action.

In Zambia, CRADLE-related research is generating evidence on how improved vital signs monitoring can guide clinical decision-making, including the management of pre-eclampsia and severe hypertension.

In Sierra Leone, the project is being implemented at scale through the CRADLE-5 programme, with the aim of embedding routine vital signs monitoring into maternal care nationwide. The initiative focuses on training health workers, improving referral pathways and reducing maternal deaths, major complications and fetal loss associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

South Africa’s involvement has centred on evaluating the performance, acceptability and feasibility of the CRADLE VSA device in different levels of care, including tertiary hospitals.

Findings from these studies are informing best practices on how the technology can be integrated into routine antenatal and maternity services.

The results are supporting efforts to integrate CRADLE-informed approaches into national policy and maternal health guidelines.

Across the three countries, the common objective is to strengthen frontline maternal care, empower health workers with simple but effective tools, and reduce preventable deaths and complications linked to NCD-related conditions in pregnancy.