Report by Badal Tah, Rayagada : The India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) is a multi-partner initiative, implementing and scaling up a public health hypertension control program across India. Essential hypertension is a complex multifactorial condition influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease globally and a leading cause of premature death and disability.
This is a program in collaboration with WHO, GOI, ICMR and technical partner resolve to save lives. This study demonstrates that a scalable public health hypertension control program can yield substantial BP control improvements, especially in primary care settings. This program is implemented in 19 states and 101 districts and 2.1 million hypertension patients have registered in IHCI program.
The aim of IHCI is to decrease the mortality from un controlled hypertension to patients by following HEARTS Package adapted by WHO. The Government of India (GOI) has adopted a national action plan to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) aligned with the WHO’s global targets to be achieved by 2025. These include a 25% relative reduction in overall mortality from cardiovascular diseases and a 25% relative reduction in raised blood pressure prevalence. 30% reduction in mean consumption of salts is also envisaged.
Odisha is the 20th state in India to start this program starting with Rayagada district followed by Kalahandi and Balangir districts in couple of months. To support the NCDs and implement the program in Odisha state and the three districts mentioned earlier, a cardio vascular health officer is deployed from WHO and to follow up and implement this program in field level, senior treatment supervisors one each for district is deployed from ICMR.
As a part of Capacity building prior to the start of the program, the trainings at the district from DH/SDH/CHC/PHCs/HWCs – Medical officers ,Pharmacists ,Staff Nurses will be conducted.
The programme was jointly launched by Collector Sri Saroj Mishra and CDM & PHO. Then formally IHCI program has started last Thursday in urban health centre – 1 Rayagada by registering the 1st hypertension patient.
The program is managed under the supervision of Dr Manoj Patruni, MD – Community Medicine, cardiovascular health officer for Odisha–WHO-India .
All the Rayagada public have been advised to utilise the services of this IHCI program by getting tested for hypertension at least by getting it measured once in a year and if at all diagnosed , the hypertensives need to adhere to the treatment protocol followed by the medical officers for getting the BP into control and avoid the cardiovascular diseases.
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