Health Department sensitizes Panchayats on World Hypertension Day
Control your blood pressure properly to live long : Dr Rajwinder Kaur, Civil Surgeon
Ferozepur, May 19, 2025: World Hypertension Day, marked annually on 17 May, raises awareness and promotes hypertension prevention, detection and control. This year, on its 20th anniversary, it is being observed with the theme, "Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer!"
Hypertension continues to be a major public health challenge—a silent killer that affects over 294 million people across the WHO South-East Asia Region. Modifiable behavioral risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, high salt intake, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and mental stress continue to drive its prevalence.
In this context, an awareness camp was organized at the Block Panchayat Development Office to make the newly elected Sarpanches/Panches of District Ferozepur aware about health care, said Civil Surgeon Dr Rajwinder Kaur.
District Mass Media Officer (DMO) Sanjeev Sharma said that hypertension is the main cause of many health problems such as stroke, heart attack and kidney disease, and it can also affect dementia (mental weakness). Many people who suffer from hypertension do not know that they are suffering from this disease. Since it may not have any symptoms, people often find out about it only after a heart attack or stroke. The main objective of observing World Hypertension Day is to increase awareness among the people about hypertension, which is also commonly known as high blood pressure.
Dy MMO, Ankush Bhandari said that more than 30 percent of the world's population, i.e. more than 1 billion people in the world, is affected by hypertension. Hypertension is a growing problem in India and is becoming a significant burden on the health system. Blood pressure should be less than 140/90 for the general population and less than 130/80 for the hypertensive population without any other complications, and less than 130/80 for people with diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Blood pressure can be kept under control by using medications and making lifestyle changes.
He said, the blood pressure can be kept under control to a great extent by making important lifestyle changes, such as a well-balanced diet, low salt intake, avoiding alcohol, regular physical activity, managing stress, maintaining a healthy body weight, not smoking, taking your medications on time and properly, and following your doctor's advice.
Trainers from the State Institute of Rural Development, Rupinder Sran and Manpreet Kaur, were also present on the occasion.