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.
