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 the medicine list update committee for the community clinic on May 14, 2023, said a press release in Dhaka today (June 3).

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 non-communicable diseases are gradually increasing, as one in every five adults in the country suffers from them.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 1.28 billion people (aged 30-79) are suffering from hypertension, and two-thirds of those are living in lower and middle-income countries.

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