Evidence on Existing Programs to Reduce Barriers to Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes Control Across the Life Course in East Africa: A Scoping Review Protocol

This scoping review aims to systematically map and analyze existing programs, interventions, and strategies designed to reduce barriers to the prevention, management, and control of hypertension (HTN) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) across the life course in East African countries. Hypertension and T2D are major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) that contribute substantially to morbidity, disability, and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including those in East Africa. Despite the growing burden, evidence on effective, scalable interventions that address social, economic, environmental, and health system barriers remains limited. The review will adopt the Socio-Ecological Framework to examine interventions at multiple levels of influence; including individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and policy levels and will incorporate a life course perspective to understand how interventions target critical periods from early life to adulthood. The study will follow a structured methodology including a comprehensive search of electronic databases and grey literature, title and abstract screening, full-text screening, data extraction, and thematic synthesis. Data will be charted to capture study characteristics, intervention types, barriers addressed, level of implementation, life course integration, and reported outcomes. Expected outcomes of this review include a detailed map of existing interventions, identification of common barriers addressed, insights into facilitators and challenges for program implementation, and an understanding of gaps in the current literature. The review will inform policymakers, program implementers, and researchers by highlighting evidence-based strategies, opportunities for multi-level and life course-oriented interventions, and areas requiring further research. Ultimately, this scoping review seeks to contribute to the improvement of HTN and T2D prevention and management in East Africa, supporting the reduction of the regional and global NCD burden.