The NIHR RIGHT-6 global funded ACROSS (Affordable Cardiac Rehabilitation: Outreach Interdisciplinary Strategic Study) programme officially commenced its mission to transform cardiovascular care with a high-level Kick-Off Meeting held in Doha, Qatar, from 9–12 February 2026.

The four-day meeting convened an international consortium of researchers, clinicians, and strategic partners from the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and United States.

Strengthening Global Collaboration

The primary objective of the meeting was to solidify the governance and delivery framework for the programme. Through a series of intensive workshops, partners aligned on several critical pillars:

• Scientific Foundations: Establishing the methodological rigor required for large-scale clinical trials.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring all operations meet NIHR standards and ethics requirements.
• Cultural Adaptation: Developing strategies to tailor cardiac interventions to the specific socio-cultural contexts of Bangladesh and Pakistan
• Capacity Building: Mapping out training pathways for the next generation of researchers and clinicians.

Advancing Rehabilitation in Low-Resource Settings

A central theme of the ACROSS programme is addressing the "treatment gap" in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Currently, cardiac rehabilitation services in Pakistan and Bangladesh are scarce and face significant resource constraints.

To bridge this gap, ACROSS is adapting existing home-based rehabilitation models originally developed in UK, including the Heart Manual and REACH-HF, for delivery in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Key adaptation priorities include:

• Linguistic & Cultural Tailoring: Ensuring materials resonate with local patient populations.
• Low-Intensity CBT: Integrating psychological support into physical recovery.
• Risk Management: Establishing safe protocols for exercise prescription outside of hospital settings.
• Family Engagement: Leveraging the essential role of family caregivers in the rehabilitation process.

Building Capacity for High-Impact Research

The meeting underscored a commitment to scientific excellence, featuring technical sessions led by the University of Glasgow Clinical Trials and Health Economics Units. To support the programme's long-term goals, ACROSS will establish dedicated methodological working groups focusing on:

• Biostatistics & Data Management
• Health Economics

Investing in the Future

In a highlight of the event, our 2 newly appointed ACROSS PhD students from Pakistan presented their proposed research on digital rehabilitation and multimorbidity. The ACROSS programme will fund eight PhD studentships in total, fostering a sustainable ecosystem of research expertise in partner countries.

Strategic Communication & Sustainability

The final phase of the meeting focused on impact. The consortium adopted a phased communication strategy designed to engage stakeholders from local policymakers to international health organizations to ensure the programme's findings lead to lasting policy change and sustainable healthcare infrastructure.