Hypertension, a non-communicable disease that poses various health risks can be reduced if availability of medicine can be ensured at community clinic level.
A large number of people in the country are suffering from hypertension but most of them are unaware that they have hypertension. One in every five (21 percent) adults in Bangladesh is suffering from hypertension.
Public health experts shared such information at the two-day long workshop for journalists titled ‘Hypertension and Heart Health’ organized by PROGGA with the support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI)held at the conference room of Bangladesh Institute of Planners in the capital on Wednesday.
Referring to ‘Bangladesh NCD Steps Survey, 2018’, experts at the workshop informed that less than one in every seven people has been able to keep their condition under control by taking medications.
According to the data of Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019, hypertension is one of the three major reasons for death and disability in Bangladesh. Only 29 percent of healthcare facilities have trained workers.
It was further informed at the workshop that the issue of controlling hypertension has been prioritized in a number of government policies and plans in Bangladesh but lacks any nationwide program.
Following global targets for preventing non-communicable diseases, the government has set a national target of 25 percent relative reduction of high blood pressure prevalence by 2025.
Hence, mass awareness must be created regarding properly measuring hypertension, its treatment, and risks of hypertension-related cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases. Government must increase budget allocations to ensure hypertension treatment and availability of medications at all hospitals and the community clinic level. In addition to that, everyone must be made aware to adopt a healthy lifestyle to prevent hypertension, i.e., avoid intake of excessive salt, abstain from foods laden with trans fats, abstain from use of tobacco and alcohol, reduce excessive body weight, and stay physically active.
It maybe mentioned that more than 10 million people die each year from hypertension which is more than all communicable diseases combined.
Hypertension can silently damage different parts of the body. Blood pressure measurement and availability of hypertension medicines must be ensured in all community clinics of the country in order to increase public awareness about hypertension and improve quality of healthcare services.
World Health Organization Bangladesh National Professional Officer (NCD) Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Huq, Head of Department of Epidemiology and Research of National Heart Foundation Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Department of Cardiology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Professor Dr. S M Mustafa Zaman, NHF RESOLVE Hypertension Control Program Project Manager Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman Bhuiyan and ABM Zubair, PROGGA Executive Director among others were present at the workshops as discussants.