icddr,b and partners celebrate World Hypertension Day with free screening programme and knowledge sharing

Dhaka, 17 May, 2018 - Today, icddr,b in partnership with the Non Communicable Diseases (NCD) Control Programme of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Bangladesh have recognised World Hypertension Day with a scientific seminar titled “Hypertension! The Silent Killer! Reaching the Unreached”. A special event on the control of hypertension that included measurement of blood pressure, BMI calculation, level of stress or depression, assessment of ten-year cardiovascular risks using of Framingham cardiovascular risk score,  and counselling or referral.

Hypertension or high blood pressure (BP) is a preventable and controllable condition which many people are unaware of. The Bangladesh Health and Demographic Survey 2011 reports that about one third of the adults 35-80 years of age have hypertension and alarmingly half of them are unaware of it. More than half of the individuals with hypertension in two rural districts in Bangladesh do not have their BP under control (<140/90 mm of Hg), and one out of five patients have reported an event of stroke (21%). Stroke and heart attack are the top two causes of deaths from NCD in Bangladesh, and uncontrolled hypertension is the major risk of both. Early detection of hypertension and changing lifestyle can tackle hypertension without taking medicines. However, in Bangladesh, two out of three hypertensive patients do not take regular medicine and are at high risk of developing the fatal diseases.

Some of these findings were revealed in a new study, titled “COBRA-BPS Trial (Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation – Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)”. Dr. Aliya Naheed, Head, Initiative for NCD at icddr,b and the country lead in Bangladesh of this multi country trial said, “COBRA-BPS tested low-cost public health strategies by health workers and doctors to lower blood pressure among adults with a goal to reduce their risks of heart diseases and stroke, and found very feasible methods to incorporate in the primary health care systems. Our next goal is to work with the government and other organizations in order to identify strategies to scale it up in Bangladesh”.

Speaking on the findings through a video message, overall principal investigator of the trial, Professor Tazeen H. Jafar, DUKE-NUS Medical School, Singapore said, “Health systems have been conventionally focused on infectious diseases and have neglected chronic diseases, which have become very, very important.”

In the scientific session, Dr. Naheed presented the findings from the trial with a title “COBRA-BPS: A potential strategy for strengthening primary care for hypertension control in Bangladesh”.

While Dr. Abdul Alim, Deputy Programme Manager, NCDC Programme, DGHS presented the overview of the government’s programme on NCD. He highlighted NCDC Operational Plan in HPNSP (2017-22), referral services at the primary level and the guidelines that have been developed recently by the government.  

To reduce mortality and morbidity from NCDs in Bangladesh through strengthening of evidence-based measures to control the risk factors and health service delivery options for early detection and management, the NCDC Operational Plan in HPNSP (2017-22) has been established and already hypertension diagnosis and referral services are implemented at the primary level in at least 2 Upazilas and the guidelines for screening, referral and treatment of hypertension have been approved”.

Professor Sohel Reza Choudhury, National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute, presented current epidemiology of hypertension in Bangladesh.

Professor S.M. Mustafa Zaman, Secretary General, Association of Physicians of Bangladesh, presented “Technical package of hypertension management in primary health care.”   

The scientific session was followed by an open discussion session moderated by Professor A.H.M. Enayet Hussain, Additional Director General (Planning & Development), DGHS, where Dr. Nur Mohammad, Line Director, NCDC Programme, DGHS; Professor Dr. Afzalur Rahman, Director, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases; Professor M.A. Jalil Chowdhury, Secretary General, Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) and National Professor Brig. (Rtd.) Abdul Malik, Founder and President, National heart Foundation have attended.

Representatives from different stakeholders also participated in the event and attended health check up & BP measurement session on the occasion.

COBRA-BPS Trial is supported by Joint Global Heath Trials Scheme of the UK Department for International Development, the Medical Research Council, and the Wellcome Trust.

 

TIK