The government should promptly implement the decision of including hypertension medicine in the drug list of Community Clinics to limit its growing prevalence and death from hypertension-related non-communicable diseases nationwide, speakers suggested at a workshop on Monday.
At the same time, the necessary budget must be allocated to ensure an uninterrupted supply of the medicine at Community Clinics and Upazila Health Complexes, they stressed.
Earlier, the government took the landmark decision to include the medicine for hypertension in the drug list of Community Clinics to combat hypertension, said a media release.
The workshop for journalists titled “Hypertension Control in Bangladesh” was held at the capital’s BMA Bhaban and organised by research and advocacy organisation PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).
Twenty-four journalists working in print, television and online media participated in the workshop. One in every four adults in Bangladesh is suffering from hypertension, the speakers said at the event.
According to WHO’s first Global Report on Hypertension 2023, the rate of treated people with hypertension is very low, a mere 38 per cent. The report also revealed that 2 lakh 73 thousand people died of cardiovascular diseases in 2019 in Bangladesh and 54 per cent of these fatalities were attributable to hypertension.
Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL) Deputy General Manager Md Zakir Hossain (Sales and Marketing) said, “The availability of hypertension medicine at Community Clinics will be ensured from the upcoming fiscal year.”
Dr Malay Kanti Mridha, professor of Public Health and Director of the Centre for Non-Communicable Disease and Nutrition at BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health said, “Dietary and lifestyle modifications must be integrated into daily routine to keep hypertension under control.”
According to the report of WHO, four out of every five people with hypertension are not adequately treated and around 7.6 crore deaths could be averted by 2050 if treatment facilities are scaled up.
GHAI Bangladesh Country Lead Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Dhaka Tribune Executive Editor Reaz Ahmed and PROGGA Executive Director ABM Zubair were also present at the event as discussants.
The key-note presentation on hypertension control was delivered by Dr Shamim Jubayer, programme manager of Hypertension Control Programme, National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute and Sadia Galiba Prova, project coordinator of Hypertension Control and Trans Fat Elimination Project, PROGGA.
Caption: Officials from PROGGA, Global Health Advocacy Incubator, guests from medical sector and journalists pose for a group at the workshop in Dhaka on Monday—Courtesy Photo
