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 issued on Saturday.
As per the decision, the drug list of community clinics will have Amlodipine 5mg for hypertension and Metformin 500mg for diabetes.
"It is 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 1,280 million 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.
