Experts present at a roundtable hosted by Consumer Voice, a New Delhi-based consumer organization, approved the recent move of the Ministry of Health to assess and enroll 75 million individuals with hypertension or diabetes in Standard Care by 2025. Although they called it ambitious, they noted that it was a critical move.

Senior MPs, top physicians from the countrys premier medical institutions, and CSO leaders stressed the need for multi-stakeholder and mission-mode activity to meet this crucial health target in the next two years. India has set a target of a 25% relative decrease in the prevalence of hypertension (high blood pressure) by 2025.

Dr. DP Vats stated that to improve Indias healthcare system, primary field-level frontline workers, community health workers, and nurses are critical for delivering high-quality community-based services, particularly for hypertension and other non-communicable diseases.

Doctors present at the occasion warned that hypertension is one of Indias leading causes of death. With non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounting for about 63% of all fatalities in India, the focus is on preventing and treating HTN, a primary risk factor for premature mortality and morbidity.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Archisman Mohapatra of the GRID Council stated that an uninterrupted supply and availability of hypertension protocol medicines can significantly help in scaling up hypertension control and reducing morbidities like heart attack, stroke, and organ damage.

High blood pressure is one of the most significant risk factors for CVDs. Furthermore, it is still poorly managed due to a lack of understanding of hypertension, a lack of adequate care through primary care, and a lack of follow-up. 

(Source:https://www.expresshealthcare.in/news/nationwide-call-to-action-required-to-make-gois-goal-of-stemming-htn-epidemic-by-2025-a-success/439467/ )