WORLD HEALTH DAY
2013
BLOOD PRESSURE — TAKE CONTROL
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
A Public Health Priority
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● High blood pressure is very common. One out of
three adults in the South-East Asia Region is affected by high blood pressure. It is the leading risk factor for mortality claiming nearly
1.5 million lives each year in the Region.
● High blood pressure is increasing in the Region
due to rapid urbanization and globalization leading to adoption of unhealthy lifestyles.
● Many people in the Region are unaware that
they have high blood pressure and remain undiagnosed. Even the majority of those who are diagnosed do not get treated to control the blood pressure.
● Undiagnosed and uncontrolled blood pressure
leads to heart attack, stroke as well as kidney and eye damage. Early death, disability, loss of income, and medical care expenditures due to high blood pressure, all take their toll on families, communities and national budgets. The loss of family income from death or disability can be devastating. Spending on health care, which is often long term or lifelong in the case of complications of high blood pressure, pushes millions of people into poverty.
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High blood pressure is a silent killer. It usually shows no symptoms and many people do not realize they have it. Thus many people with hypertension may be diagnosed very late when complications have already set in. There are significant health and economic costs attached to lack of early detection, inadequate treatment and
poor control of high blood pressure. Addressing complications of high blood pressure drains
individual and government budgets because of the need for costly interventions such as bypass
surgery and dialysis. Early detection and treatment of high blood pressure and its risk factors can decrease premature mortality (due to heart disease and stroke) leading to improved health and well-being.
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Integrated health programmes need to be
established particularly at the primary care level to increase access to health care services for high blood pressure and other associated
noncommunicable diseases. Health workers should be trained in diagnosis and management of high blood pressure and other noncommunicable diseases using standard guidelines.
Primary health care facilities must be equipped with basic technologies and generic medicines for treatment of high blood pressure and associated noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes. These include technologies— at least a blood pressure measurement device, a weighing scale, blood sugar measurement device and urine strips for albumin assay; medicines— at least aspirin, a statin, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, thiazide diuretic, a calcium channel blocker, an oral hypoglycemic agent and insulin. In addition to
High Blood Pressure — A Public Health Priority
WORLD HEALTH DAY | 2013
treatment, counselling should be offered to ensure adherence to treatment.
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Public health policies should help to make healthier options the default choice. These include policies to reduce the exposure of the whole population to major risk factors, such as unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and tobacco use.
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Surveillance and health information systems in countries have to be strengthened to monitor the impact of action to prevent and control high blood pressure and other noncommunicable diseases. Noncommunicable disease surveillance is the ongoing systematic collection and analysis of data to provide information regarding a country’s noncommunicable disease burden. Monitoring systems need to collect reliable information on risk factors and their determinants, noncommunicable disease mortality and morbidity. Surveillance and monitoring is critical for providing information needed for policy and programme development including appropriate regulations and legislation required for prevention and control of
noncommunicable diseases.
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As the world’s leading public health agency, WHO tracks the global burden, articulates evidence-based policy, sets norms and standards, and provides technical support to countries to address health and disease. Since 2000, WHO has played a critical role in efforts to address
noncommunicable diseases including high blood pressure through a public health approach.
Key activities include: evidence-based guidance and implementation tools to assist countries to address high blood pressure through a combination of interventions that focus on individuals and the whole population; coordinating the development of the global noncommunicable diseases action plan 2013–2020 and a global monitoring framework in consultation with Member States and other
partners to provide a roadmap to operationalize the commitments of the United Nations political declaration on noncommunicable diseases.
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● Salt reduction through mass media
campaigns and reduced salt content in processed foods.
● Replacement of trans fats with
polyunsaturated fats.
● Public awareness programme about diet and
physical activity.
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● Excise tax increases.
● Smoke-free indoor workplaces and public
places.
● Health information and warnings about
tobacco.
● Bans on advertising and promotion.
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● Excise tax increases on alcoholic beverages. ● Comprehensive restrictions and bans on
alcohol marketing.
● Restrictions on the availability of retailed
