Experts on Saturday called for increased budgetary allocation for the health sector as the strengthening of primary services is imperative to tackle heart diseases in Bangladesh.
Hypertension or high blood pressure was the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which was preventable through adopting precautionary measures.
High pressure is the cause of more than 240,000 deaths annually in Bangladesh as it is associated with heart attack, stroke and kidney disease, according to them.
Experts revealed the data at a meet the press styled 'Improving Cardiovascular Health in Bangladesh' held at a city hotel.
The National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh (NHFB), PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) and Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL) co-hosted the event.
"In Bangladesh, one out of every four adults has hypertension. Bangladesh has made rapid progress preventing deaths from infectious diseases. Now, the country can also be a world leader preventing heart attacks and strokes," said RTSL President and CEO Dr Tom Frieden.
"Bangladesh has made dramatic progress by increasing 20-fold the number of patients on treatment while also doubling the quality of treatment. Investing in the strengthening of primary care services to provide blood pressure treatment can prevent heart attacks and strokes, saving many lives," added Dr Frieden, also former director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The prevalence of hypertension and other hypertension-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh is rising rapidly due to an ageing population, rapid urbanisation, increased sedentary lifestyle, processed food consumption, and other socioeconomic and lifestyle factors.
To relieve the burden of NCDs imposed by hypertension, it is imperative to control blood pressure within the primary healthcare system and ensure the necessary financing is in place to sustain this effort.
Dr Frieden highlighted sodium as one of the major risk factors for hypertension.
He said, "Government policies can reduce sodium intake and prevent hypertension. Globally, excess sodium consumption leads to almost 2.0-million deaths each year. Four out of five of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries."
Non-Communicable Disease Control Programme (NCDC), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the NHFB have been collaborating with RTSL, a global health non-profit, to implement a programme that strengthens the detection, treatment and follow-up of hypertension in primary care since 2018.
"Substantial progress has been made over the past several years with the Bangladesh Hypertension Control Initiative," said Prof Dr Sohel Reza Choudhury, head of the Department of Epidemiology and Research at NHFB.
"The programme is now active in 171 upazila health complexes and the blood pressure control rate has doubled to 52 per cent from 26 per cent. Scaling this programme will mean more lives improved and saved throughout Bangladesh."
The GHAI, along with partners, also advocates for the improvement of cardiovascular health in Bangladesh. "Health programs must be comprehensive," said Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead of GHAI.
"We look forward to supporting the continued progress in Bangladesh in controlling blood pressure, increasing medication access and reducing salt consumption."
PROGGA executive director ABM Zubair delivered his closing remarks at the event.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
