Photo: BSS

DHAKA, April 9, 2025 (BSS) – Speakers in a webinar today put emphasis on sustainable financing for controlling high blood pressure, saying that the high blood pressure is one of the causes of various non-communicable diseases in the country.

Advocacy and research institute PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) organized the webinar titled ‘Controlling high blood pressure to protect public health: Bangladesh perspective’ today to mark the World Health Day-2025.

The speakers said though the work of providing free medicines for the disease at the grassroots level has already begun to combat the prevalence of high blood pressure, it is essential to ensure that medicines of high blood pressure are available in all community clinics and upazila health complexes across the country.

Noting that high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh, it was revealed in the webinar that though 71 percent of the total death is caused by the high blood pressure and other non-communicable diseases, the amount allocated to combat it is only 4.2 percent of the total health budget.

It is essential to increase the allocation in the upcoming budget to address the existing situation,the webinar stressed.

Line Director of Community Based Health Care (CBHC) of the Directorate General of Health Services Dr Muhammad Habibur Rahman, public health expert and President-elect of the Public Health Association of Bangladesh Dr Abu Jamil Faisal, BRAC James P. Grants School of Public Health Professor Dr Malay Kanti Mridha and GHAI Bangladesh Country Lead Muhammad Ruhul Quddus spoke at the webinar, among others.

PROGGA Executive Director ABM Zubair presided over the webinar while its Coordinator Sadia Galiba Prabha moderated it.

Speaking at the event, Habibur said the government has taken the initiative to provide medicines of high blood pressure to the Upazila Health Complex as well as the community clinics.
 
“At this moment, there is a shortage of medicines, but we will be able to overcome it soon,” he added.

Along with increasing budget, Faisal put special emphasis on bringing change in diet habits and lifestyle to prevent the prevalence of high blood pressure.

Dr Malay said there are differences in the prevalence of high blood pressure in Bangladesh by region, age, education, and gender. Remedial and preventive measures should be taken to control the high blood pressure, he said.