Samoa needs to intensify the response to the growing non-communicable disease burden. This study aimed to assess bottlenecks in the care continuum and identify possible solutions. The mixed-methods study used the cascade framework as an analysis tool and hypertension as a tracer condition for chronic non-communicable diseases. Household survey data were integrated with medical record data of hypertension patients and results from focus group discussions with patients and healthcare providers. Hypertension prevalence was 38.1% but only 4.7% of hypertensive individuals had controlled blood pressure. There were large gaps in the care continuum especially at screening and referral due to multiple socio-cultural, economic and service delivery constraints. In Samoa, care for chronic non-communicable diseases is not effectively addressing patient needs. This calls for better health communication, demand creation, treatment support, nutritional interventions and health service redesign, with a focus on primary healthcare and effective patient and community engagement.
