Hypertension, a top worry: WHO
With World Health day approaching on April 7, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised an alarm about high blood pressure. The organisation is now developing a global plan of action for 2013–2020 for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
It is assisting countries to develop national action plans and set national targets to track progress in preventing and controlling such diseases, including hypertension, and their key risk factors.
High blood pressure or hypertension kills nearly 1.5 million people every year in Southeast Asia making it the single-most important risk factor for non-communicable diseases like heart attack and stroke. Between the years 2011 and 2015, the cumulative loss in productivity associated with non-communicable diseases in low and middle-income countries is projected to be USD 7.3 trillion.
According to WHO most of these deaths can be prevented through healthy lifestyles, early detection, and treatment. Hypertension is a silent killer, as many do not realise that they have it or are reluctant to start treatment on time, putting them at risk of complications. However, it is treatable through medication. Preventing high blood pressure must be a public health, social, economic and development priority.
“Every individual has the power to prevent high blood pressure by adopting a healthy lifestyle — eating a balanced diet, reducing salt, regular exercise, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, quitting tobacco and checking their blood pressure regularly,” said Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO regional director for Southeast Asia.
He added that governments need to establish health-promoting environments, which can enable people to adopt healthy lifestyles. “Regulations need to be in place to decrease the amount of salt in packaged food and make healthier foods affordable and accessible,” he said.
Acknowledging this as a serious global issue, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the political declaration of the high-level meeting on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
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