Hypertension, diabetes drugs will be available at community clinics

Drugs for hypertension and diabetes will now be  available at community clinics across the country as part of the government's  plan to ensure primary healthcare in rural areas.

This decision was taken by medicine list update committee for community  clinic on May 14, 2023, said a press release on Saturday. 

As per the decision, the drug list of community clinics will have Amlodipine  5mg for hypertension and Metformin 500mg for diabetes.

"It's a landmark decision to check hypertension at the grassroots level in  the country," said the media release. 

In Bangladesh, the deaths due to hypertension-related various non- communicable diseases are gradually growing as one in every five adults in  the country suffers from it.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 128 crore people  (age from 30-79) are suffering from hypertension and two-third of those are  living in lower and middle income countries. 

Hypertension leads to increased risks of cardiovascular diseases, stroke and  kidney diseases.