UN award for India’s Hypertension Control Initiative

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About the Award-

• The 2022 award recognizes achievements during 2021 on multisectoral action in the prevention and control of NCDs, mental health and the wider NCD-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• It recognize outstanding commitment and action to prevent and control NCDs and deliver integrated people-centered primary care & made in three categories:

1. Ministries of health and government health agencies
2. Ministries and government agencies outside health
3. Non-governmental organizations, academia and foundations. 

• For 2022 the awards Scheme was expanded to recognize work in primary care for prevention and control of NCDs.

What is India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI)?

• IHCI is a collaborative initiative of the health ministry, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), state governments and World Health Organization-India.
• IHCI has been able to leverage and strengthen the existing health care delivery system, hypertension control interventions under National Health Mission and improve the linkages between populations-based screening initiative with health care.
• The UN award recognises the outstanding commitment and action of India to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs); and deliver integrated people-centric primary care. 
• The initiative was launched in 2017, and expanded in a phased manner to cover more than 130 districts across 23 states. 
• Under the initiative, at least 3.4 million people with hypertension are taking treatment in government health facilities, including Ayushman Bharat Health Wellness Centres (HWCs). 
• Hypertension is called a silent disease, and estimates suggest that one in four adults in India has high blood pressure. 
• The control of hypertension at primary care system level will contribute to reducing deaths due to heart attacks, stroke and also kidney failures.
• The project strategies are easily scalable within the health system. The strategies include
  • A simple drug-dose-specific standard treatment protocol.
  • Ensuring adequate quantity of protocol medications.
  • Decentralisation of care with follow-up and refills of medicines at Health Wellness Centres.
  • Task sharing involving all health staff and a powerful real-time information system which can track every patient for follow-up and blood pressure control.
• Under IHCI, nearly half of those who were treated had blood pressure under control. 
• It complements the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke (NPCDCS) of the Health ministry IHCI accelerates the achievement of targets of the government by ensuring a continuum of care and giving a boost to the ongoing “Ayushman Bharat” programme.

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