Rapid enrollment in primary care essential for diabetes, hypertension patients: Speakers
Speakers at a workshop opined that diabetes and high blood pressure patients must be quickly enrolled in primary care.
The implementation of national norms in the management of diabetes and high blood pressure is also required, medical professionals said at a workshop on `Scale up CVD prevention and management in Bangladesh' held on Sunday (11 June 11) at Sonargaon Pan Pacific Hotel.
The workshop was jointly organised by WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, Non-Communicable Disease Control Program of Directorate of Health and National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh.
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Professor Khandkar Abdul Awal (Rizvi), secretary general of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, presided over the session. Saidur Rahman, additional secretary for the ministry of family planning and health, attended the workshop as the chief guest.
Speakers at the workshop highlighted that non-communicable diseases have emerged as a significant health concern in Bangladesh.
They said a staggering 70% of the total deaths in the country are attributed to non-communicable diseases, with almost half of them being premature deaths.
The primary focus in combating these diseases lies in strengthening treatment programs within primary health care, with particular attention given to heart disease and diabetes, which pose the highest risks, they added.
The experts emphasised the utilisation of community clinics and union sub-centres in coordination with all departments affiliated with the health ministry to enhance the detection of hypertension and diabetes.
They also stressed the importance of implementing national protocols for the treatment of these conditions in rural government primary health care, as well as in urban health sectors and private services. The integration of these initiatives was believed to reduce the risk of premature death caused by non-communicable diseases.
Furthermore, the experts recommended the adoption of an integrated digital platform to facilitate long-term management of hypertension and diabetes.
They proposed displaying the data collected from this digital platform in DHIS2, a health information system, to facilitate monitoring and future action planning by policymakers. Simultaneously, concerted efforts were encouraged to control the risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases and provide essential health advice through primary health centers.
