Society
Elevation of ties provides motivations for both Việt Nam, Malaysia: Expert
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| A health official at Nguyễn Trãi Hospital in HCM City tests the blood pressure of an elderly patient. — Photo Phương Vy |
Viet Nam News
HCM CITY— More than 280 blood-pressure screening spots have been set up in HCM City under the Communities for Healthy Hearts programme.
Launched in June last year with a pilot programme, the community-based project aims to raise patient awareness of hypertension.
By the end of last year, more than 2,700 people in the four pilot districts of 8, 12, Gò Vấp and Thủ Đức had received blood-pressure screening.
A total of 554 people at the 289 screening spots were diagnosed with high blood pressure and referred to healthcare facilities for treatment.
Nearly 25 per cent of the adult population in Việt Nam has high blood pressure, but less than half are aware of their condition, according to Nguyễn Hữu Hưng, deputy director of the city’s Department of Health.
The programme is part of the Novartis Foundation’s larger effort to combat the rise of chronic disease in urban areas of developing countries. —VNS
