Hypertension Program Helps At-Risk Women in Madagascar

A young medical school graduate is making a big difference in her church with the use of a blood pressure-testing machine. 

By the Rev. Dr. Betty Kazadi Musau

March 4, 2026 

For Rantoniaina Sariaka, the donation of a blood pressure-testing machine has provided a way to help at-risk women in her community in Madagascar.

The daughter of houseworkers, Sariaka, 26, was able to attend medical school with the support an uncle. Passionate to help other women, she studied medical science and focused her term paper on preeclampsia, a leading cause of maternal mortality in Madagascar.

Preeclampsia is a blood pressure-related disorder affecting pregnant women, so when a United Methodist pastor in the Democratic Republic of Congo donated a testing machine, Sariaka immediately put it to use.

Sariaka began using the device to test the blood pressure of members of her church in Antananarivo, the island nation’s capital. The church provides space for her on a weekly basis to practice what she learned from three years of college.

“I use the testing machine for church members and family members,” she said. She needs more training in hypertension treatment, which is not well understood in Madagascar, she said.

Access to health care is a problem in Madagascar, especially in rural areas far from cities. In many regions, residents must walk long distances to reach the nearest health facility. This journey can be difficult, especially for pregnant women, elderly people and individuals with chronic illnesses, according to Esdras Rakotoarivony Fiderana, a United Methodist Church representative.

For many, the trip represents not only a physical burden but also a serious risk, he said. When a pregnant woman goes into labor before reaching a health center, every minute counts for her survival and that of her child. 

Poverty makes women even more vulnerable, limiting their ability to consult a health professional, get transportation to reach a health center, buy medications and get tested for blood pressure. 

Hypertension care is costly. In private clinics, a simple blood pressure check can cost 5,000 Ariary – or USD $1.21 – an amount many families cannot afford.

Sariaka’s new testing machine is making a difference in her parish. She has been able to measure the blood pressure of many members free of charge. She also has helped people identify serious risks, such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, and she has referred those in need to more advanced care.

In addition to church members, many other people have been helped by Sariaka’s initiative. Her effort is saving lives and attracting new people to the church through word of mouth.

The United Methodist Church in Madagascar wants to help every person have access to humane and compassionate health care, regardless of their financial status, Rakotoarivony Fiderana said. 

The church would like to start a health center that would provide regular maternal health consultations, prenatal follow-ups, basic obstetric care, preventive and family awareness programs, care for the elderly and people with chronic illnesses, he said. 

This would not only save lives but it would restore hope to hundreds of families, he said. 

Speaking on a personal level, he said he has seen too many women suffer in silence – single mothers with limited resources, women working tirelessly to provide for their children but who may not have bus fare to reach a hospital when illness strikes. 

“This lack of medical access is not just a health issue, it is a humanitarian crisis that touches the very heart of our nation,” Rakotoarivony Fiderana said.

“We pray to God that, by His grace, this vision will become reality — that The United Methodist Church in Madagascar may open a health center, a place whereby life is protected, pregnant women are kept safe (and) the most vulnerable receive the care they deserve,” he said.

“Such a center would not only be a building, it would be a symbol of hope, dignity and Christian love in service of our people.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmBKzKt_fXA

Support for hypertension programs in Africa can be made through Harper Hill Global. While Harper Hill Global wasn’t involved in providing the equipment in Madagascar, it is supporting hypertension programs in other areas around Africa through its Hearts United for Health program.

Kazadi Musau is director of communication for The United Methodist Church’s North Katanga Episcopal Area.