India wins UN award for initiative against hypertension

NEW DELHI: In a significant achievement and recognition to country's efforts against hypertension, India on Wednesday won a UN award for its 'India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI)'.

A collaborative initiative of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), State Governments and World Health Organization-India, IHCI has won the '2022 UN Interagency Task Force and WHO Special Programme on Primary Health Care Award' at the UN General Assembly side event held on September 21 in New York.

The IHCI is a large-scale hypertension intervention under National Health Mission which has been recognized for its exceptional work within India's existing primary healthcare system, Health Ministry said in a statement.

Complimenting the healthcare initiative, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted, "IHCI has strengthened PM @NarendraModi Ji's mission to ensure health & wellness for all." We are committed to building a healthy & fit India, he further noted.

The award recognizes outstanding commitment and action of India to: (i) prevent and control Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and (ii) deliver integrated people-centric primary care. The UN Task Force has identified organisation which has multisectoral approach in prevention and control of NCDs and multisectoral action with demonstrated results at primary care for prevention and control of NCDs and related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

IHCI has been able to leverage and strengthen the existing healthcare delivery system, hypertension control interventions under National Health Mission and improve the linkages between populations-based screening initiative with health 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, more than 34 lakh people with hypertension are taking treatment in government health facilities, including Ayushman Bharat Health Wellness Centres (HWCs). The strategies include a simple drug-dose-specific standard treatment protocol, ensuring adequate quantity of protocol medications, decentralization 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.