United Nations Award For India’s Hypertension Control Initiative

New Delhi: The United Nations (UN) has acknowledged India’s efforts to tackle a ‘silent killer’ with an award for its ‘India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI)’ programme.

“India wins an @UN award for ‘India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI)’ — a large-scale hypertension intervention within existing primary healthcare system under National Health Mission. IHCI has strengthened PM @NarendraModi Ji’s mission to ensure health & wellness for all,” Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted.

It was at a side event at the UN General Assembly in New York that the ‘2022 UN Interagency Task Force, and WHO Special Programme on Primary Health Care Award’ was announced.

Under the massive National Health Mission initiative, 3.4 million people with hypertension – high blood pressure – were identified and treatment started at several government health facilities including Ayushman Bharat Health Wellness Centres (HWCs).

A collaborative initiative of the Union Health ministry, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), state governments and World Health Organization-India, IHCI has been able to “leverage and strengthen existing healthcare delivery system, hypertension control interventions under National Health Mission and improve the linkages between populations-based screening initiative with health care,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The UN award recognises the outstanding commitment and action of India to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs); and deliver integrated people-centric primary care. The UN Task Force has identified organisation that has multisectoral approach in prevention and control of NCDs and multisectoral action with demonstrated results at primary care for prevention and control of NCDs and related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” it added.

Launched in 2017, IHCI expanded over time and currently covers 130 districts across 23 states.

One in four adults in India has high blood pressure (HBP), which has no obvious symptoms to indicate that something is wrong. The best way to be aware of the dangers is to check blood pressure at regular intervals.

If detected early, hypertension can be controlled, reducing deaths due to rain stroke, heart attack and kidney failure.