India Hypertension Control Initiative(IHCI) yields results

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.