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High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, causing more than 240,000 deaths annually in Bangladesh. Preventable causes of heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease can be addressed by strengthening primary health care systems and increasing health budget allocations.

Such information was highlighted at a press event titled “Improving Cardiovascular Health in Bangladesh” held at the InterContinental Dhaka in the capital on Saturday, according to a press release.

The event was co-organized by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh (NHFB), PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), and Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL).

“One in four adults in Bangladesh has high blood pressure. Bangladesh has made rapid progress in preventing deaths from infectious diseases. In the future, the country can also become a world leader in preventing heart attacks and strokes.” said Dr. Tom Frieden, president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives and former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Bangladesh has made dramatic progress by increasing the number of patients treated 20 times while also doubling the quality of care. By investing in strengthening primary care services that provide blood pressure treatment, It can prevent attacks and strokes and save many lives,” he added.

The prevalence of hypertension and other hypertension-related non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh is increasing due to population aging, rapid urbanization, increasing sedentary lifestyle, consumption of processed foods, and other socio-economic factors. and is rapidly increasing due to lifestyle factors.

To reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases caused by hypertension, it is essential to manage blood pressure within the primary health care system and ensure that the necessary funding is available to sustain this effort.

Dr. Frieden emphasized that sodium is one of the major risk factors for high blood pressure, saying, “Government policies can help reduce sodium intake and prevent high blood pressure. Almost 2 million people die from overdose each year. Four out of five of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.”

The Noncommunicable Disease Control Program (NCDC), the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (NCDC DGHS), and the NHFB are collaborating with RTSL, a global health non-profit organization, to implement a program to strengthen health. Masu. Detecting, treating and tracking hypertension in primary care since 2018.

Professor Sohel Reza Chaudhry, Director of Epidemiology and Research at the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, said, “The Bangladesh Hypertension Control Initiative has seen significant progress in recent years.”

“The program is currently being implemented in 171 upazila medical complexes and blood pressure control rates have doubled from 26 per cent to 52 per cent. It means lives are improved and saved,” he added.

GHAI, along with its partners, also advocates for improved cardiovascular health in Bangladesh. “Health programs must be comprehensive,” said Muhammad Ruhul Qudus, GHAI’s representative director for Bangladesh.

“We look forward to supporting continued advances in blood pressure management, increased access to medicines, and salt reduction in Bangladesh,” he added.

PROGGA Executive Director ABM Zubair delivered the event’s closing remarks.



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