Governance
Context: Recently India won a United Nations (UN) award for its ‘India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI)’, a large-scale hypertension intervention under the National Health Mission that saw 3.4 million hypertensive people identified and put on treatment at various government health facilities.
About IHCI:
- India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) is a multi-partner initiative involving the Indian Council of Medical Research, WHO-India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and State governments to improve blood pressure control for people with hypertension.
- The project initiated in 26 districts in 2018 has expanded to more than 100 districts by 2022.
- More than two million patients were started on treatment and tracked to see whether they achieved BP control.
- The project demonstrated that blood pressure treatment and control are feasible in primary care settings in diverse health systems across various States in India.
- Before IHCI, many patients travelled to higher-level facilities such as community health centres (block level) or district hospitals in the public sector for hypertension treatment.
- Over three years, all levels of health staff at the primary health centres and health wellness centres were trained to provide treatment and follow-up services for hypertension.
About 2022 United Nations Inter-Agency Taskforce and the WHO Special Programme on Primary Health Care Awards:
- Eighteen organizations
- received the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and the WHO Special Programme on Primary Health Care (PHC) awards.
- Awards were made in three categories: (i) ministries of health (or government agency under a ministry of health); (ii) ministries (or government agencies) beyond health; and (iii) non-state actors (non-governmental organization, academic institutions, and philanthropy).
- Winners were selected on the basis of demonstrative commitment to multisectoral action in the prevention and control of NCDs, mental health or other NCD-related SDGs.
- Nominations were specifically encouraged for organizations working with children and youth groups as well as those working with minority communities.
- Nominations were also encouraged that highlighted action maintaining focus on the NCD-related SDGs as part of COVID-19 responses.
- 2022 is the 1st year the awards were run in partnership with PHC however, the 5th year that the Task Force have ran awards. Self-nominations are not allowed.
MUST READ: Non-Communicable Diseases
Source: Hindustan Times
