News:The India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) launched in four districts of Kerala has been able to control hypertension in about 35% of the people covered under the initiative.
Facts:
About IHCI:
- The IHCI was launched in Kerala in 2018 as a multi-partner five-year initiative with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research, State government and WHO India.
- The initiative was also launched in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Punjab.
- But the results from Kerala had been the most impressive because of the infrastructure strength of non-communicable disease clinics across the State.
Features of IHCI:The key features of the Initiative include
- treatment protocols that simplify quality patient care in primary care facilities
- provision of adequate supply of quality medicines and blood pressure monitors
- comprehensive training for healthcare workers at all levels on the latest practices in hypertension treatment and
- team-based care for counseling and follow up of the patients.
Additional information:
About Hypertension:
- Hypertension occurs when a person’s arterial blood pressure is consistently elevated above a certain level.It is commonly known as high blood pressure.
- The IHCI initiative was launched as in India,one in four adults has high blood pressure.Among them,only half have been diagnosed and only 10% have their blood pressure under control.
- As a result,a large number of people develop heart attacks,strokes and kidney failure while in their productive years of life.
