Centre to bring 75 million people with hypertension, diabetes on standard care by 2025

Amongst the 63 per cent deaths, the cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for 27 per cent overall mortality followed by chronic respiratory disease 11 per cent, cancer 9 per cent, diabetes 3 per cent, and other diseases 13 per cent, reports ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi:The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday launched an ambitious initiative of screening and putting 75 million people with hypertension and diabetes on Standard Care by 2025 to mark World Hypertension Day.

Amongst the 63 per cent deaths, the cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for 27 per cent overall mortality followed by chronic respiratory disease 11 per cent, cancer 9 per cent, diabetes 3 per cent, and other diseases 13 per cent.

According to India state-level disease burden initiative CVD collaborators-2016, there were 54.5 million cases of cardiovascular disease, 23.8 million cases of ischaemic heart disease, 6.5 million cases of stroke, 55 millIon cases of COPD, 38 million cases of asthma and 65 million cases of diabetes.

An alarmed Centre has initiated a plan to bring 7.5 crore people with hypertension and diabetes on standard care by 2025. "It's a great initiative from the Government of India to bring 75 million people with hypertension, diabetes on standard care by 2025," said Dr VK Paul, member of Niti Ayog to ETV Bharat.

Under this initiative, each and every patient will be properly screened and diagnosed. Blood pressure and diabetes need to be controlled with proper medication, said Dr Paul.

He spoke about the government's initiative while talking to ETV Bharat on the sideline of a programme "Accelerating the prevention and management of hypertension, diabetes" in New Delhi. The event was organised coinciding the World Hypertension Day on May 17. "We are giving training to the healthcare professional on treating hypertension and diabetes to protect the countrymen from such non communicable disease," Dr Paul said.

Stating that there is no particular vaccine for hypertension and diabetes, he said people need to do regular blood pressure checking and do regular exercise with controlled diet to control hypertension and diabetes. Quoting an estimate, Dr Paul said that one third of the people above 30 years of age have blood pressure and 10 per cent people have diabetes problem. Dr (Prof) Balram Bhargava, head, cardiology department at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) said that hypertension, diabetes are asymptomatic disease and for this supply of drugs need to be adequate.

"The supply chain for hypertension and diabetes drugs needs to be ensured following a proper health screening and diet system," said Dr Bhargava. Dr (Prof) Nikhil Tandon, HOD, AIIMS emphasised on clinical decision support system (CDSS) for controlling and managing hypertension and diabetes. "CDSS is a computer based programs that analyse data within EHRs to provide prompts and reminders to assist health care providers in implementing evidence based clinical guidance at the point of care," said Dr Tandon.

He added, "We gave an existing software CDSS and states are going to make use of it in a big way. With the help of CDSS, the first information can be maintained by the non physicians. And thereafter, looking into the cases by physicians will generate prompt action."