Implement decision to provide free anti-hypertensive medicine at community clinics: Speakers
City Desk :
Speakers on Tuesday at a workshop for journalists urged the government to implement recent decision to include the medicine for hypertension in the drug list of Community Clinic as soon as possible
Speakers highlighted these issues at a workshop for journalists titled “Hypertension Control in Bangladesh” held at the capital’s Bangladesh Medical Association Bhaban, reports UNB.
The workshop was organized by research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).
Twenty-two journalists working in print, television and online media participated in the workshop
Mentioning the decision as a landmark step in tackling hypertension at the grassroots level, they also said speedy implementation of this decision is essential to effectively control hypertension-related non-communicable diseases and deaths associated with it across the country by ensuring free anti-hypertensive medicine for the marginalized population.
At the same time, budget must be increased in this sector to ensure an uninterrupted supply of the medicine at Community Clinic and Upazila Health Complex, they also said.
The workshop was organized by research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI). Twenty-two journalists working in print, television and online media participated in the workshop.
It was informed at the workshop that one in every four adults in Bangladesh is suffering from hypertension.
According to WHO’s first Global Report on Hypertension 2023, the rate of treated people with hypertension is only 38 percent.
The report also revealed that 2 lakh 73 thousand people died of cardiovascular disease in 2019 in Bangladesh and 54 percent of these fatalities were attributable to hypertension.
Deputy general manager (Sales & Marketing) of Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL) Zakir Hossain informed at the workshop, “The availability of hypertension medicine from all Community Clinics will be ensured from the upcoming fiscal year.
