Latest news with #Wazed
Sinar Daily
25-05-2025
- Health
- Sinar Daily
Hypertension remains major public health challenge in South-East Asia
Hypertension remains a leading contributor to premature mortality from heart attacks and strokes in our region. 24 May 2025 01:01pm Photo for illustration purpose only. - 123RF file photo GENEVA - 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, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. ''Modifiable behavioural risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, high salt intake, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and mental stress continue to drive its prevalence,'' said WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, Saima Wazed. 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. - Bernama file photo She said this in a message on the World Hypertension Day recently, to raise awareness and promote 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 remains a leading contributor to premature mortality from heart attacks and strokes in our region. Worryingly, the unmet need - defined as the gap between those with high blood pressure and those adequately diagnosed, treated, and controlled - remains as high as 88 per cent. "This indicates that nine out of every 10 people with hypertension are not receiving optimal care,'' Wazed added. ''With strong political will, community engagement, and innovative approaches, we can reduce the burden of hypertension and move closer to achieving our global goal of reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one-third by 2030,'' she added. ''On this World Hypertension Day 2025, let us reaffirm our commitment to act strongly and collectively. Let us work together to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to live a longer, healthier life-free from the preventable complications of hypertension,'' she urged. - BERNAMA-WAM
Al Etihad
18-05-2025
- Health
- Al Etihad
Hypertension continues to be major public health challenge: WHO
18 May 2025 10:16 GENEVA (WAM) Hypertension continues to be a major public health challenge — a silent killer that affects over 294 million people across the WHO South-East Asia a message on the World Hypertension Day, marked annually on 17 May, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, Saima Wazed, said, "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."This year, on its 20th anniversary, it is being observed with the theme, "Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer!""Hypertension remains a leading contributor to premature mortality from heart attacks and strokes in our region. Worryingly, the unmet need, defined as the gap between those with high blood pressure and those adequately diagnosed, treated, and controlled, remains as high as 88%. This indicates that 9 out of every 10 people with hypertension are not receiving optimal care,'' Wazed noted."With strong political will, community engagement, and innovative approaches, we can reduce the burden of hypertension and move closer to achieving our global goal of reducing premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by one-third by 2030,'' she added. "On this World Hypertension Day 2025, let us reaffirm our commitment to act strongly and collectively. Let us work together to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to live a longer, healthier life—free from the preventable complications of hypertension,'' she urged.
New Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
WHO flags hypertension as major health threat in South-East Asia; urges stronger action
NEW DELHI: Hypertension, which continues to be a major public health challenge, is a silent killer that affects over 294 million people across the South-East Asia Region, the WHO said on Friday. Modifiable behavioural risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, high salt intake, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and mental stress continue to drive its prevalence, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) to mark the World Hypertension Day, observed annually on May 17. 'Hypertension remains a leading contributor to premature mortality from heart attacks and strokes in our region. Worryingly, the unmet need - defined as the gap between those with high blood pressure and those adequately diagnosed, treated, and controlled - remains as high as 88%,' said Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia (WHO-SEARO region). 'This indicates that nine out of every 10 people with hypertension are not receiving optimal care,' she added. 'With strong political will, community engagement, and innovative approaches, we can reduce the burden of hypertension and move closer to achieving our global goal of reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one-third by 2030.' India has set a target of a 25% relative reduction in the prevalence of hypertension (raised blood pressure) by 2025. To achieve this, the government has launched the Indian Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) to fast-track access to treatment services for over 220 million people in India who have hypertension. Uncontrolled blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as heart attacks and stroke and is responsible for one-third of total deaths in India. IHCI, launched in November 2017, is a multi-partner initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), WHO Country Office for India, and Resolve to Save Lives. Wazed noted that the Region, which includes India, has made bold commitments to address the burden of hypertension through the endorsement of SEAHEARTS - Accelerating Prevention and Control of Cardiovascular Diseases in the South-East Asia Region. SEAHEARTS has proven to be a powerful platform, enabling countries to scale population-level interventions that reduce tobacco use, decrease salt intake, eliminate trans-fat, and improve treatment coverage at primary health care, she added.
India Gazette
12-05-2025
- Health
- India Gazette
Saima Wazed gives call to make walking, cycling safe for all on 8th UN Global Road Safety Week
New Delhi [India], May 12 (ANI): Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia gaver a call to make walking and cycling safe for everyone. She made the remarks on the occasion of the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week. The UN Global Road Safety Week is marked biennially, starting on the third Monday of May. 'This year, the theme urges the world to make walking and cycling safe for everyone. Walking and cycling are an integral part of the multimodal transport systems in the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for 'Road Safety 2020-2030'. They also promote healthy and sustainable cities and lifestyles', she said. Wazed noted that globally every year, road traffic crashes take a devastating toll on communities--claiming the lives of nearly 1.2 million people and leaving up to 50 million more with non-fatal injuries. 'These tragedies are not mere statistics. They are the loss of children, parents, and loved ones--and are largely preventable', she said. She highlighted that road traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death among young people aged 5 to 29 years, and they continue to be a pressing public health concern in the WHO South-East Asia Region. In 2021 alone, the region accounted for more than 330,000 deaths from road crashes, representing 28 per cent of the global total. Vulnerable road users--including pedestrians, cyclists, and operators of two- and three-wheelers--are up to 66 per cent of these fatalities. Noting that this year's theme is a timely call to action, Wazed said that 'Pedestrians and cyclists already account for more than one in four road traffic deaths. Ensuring their safety is not only a matter of saving lives. Prioritizing walking and cycling supports physical activity, which is a key modifiable risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancers. Walking and cycling also support mental well-being, helping to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.' Emphasising that road safety is an important element of WHO guidance for healthy cities, Wazed noted that 'In our region, the WHO partnership for healthy cities has been working extensively with megacities such as Mumbai and Bangkok to address road safety and promote safe transportation. This included improved designs of pedestrian walkways, through the assessment of hundreds of kilometres of roads and sidewalks, and through universal inclusive designs for accessible walkways. 'Creating safe, inclusive, and accessible roads for all in the densely populated cities of South-East Asia is challenging. However, doing so will support the population, especially the most vulnerable, through improved community well-being and environmental sustainability. When we integrate road safety with the promotion of physical activity, we address interconnected challenges: injuries, non-communicable diseases, mental health, and even climate change. I urge all Member States, civil society, the private sector, and communities to push for people-centred mobility policies, safer road design, safe vehicles, and lower speed limits', Wazed said. In her concluding remarks she gave a call for people to come together to ensure a safe walking and cycling experience in their communities. Wazed said, 'Together, let us ensure that every person--especially our children and youth--can walk and cycle safely in our communities and on roads. By doing so, we not only improve road safety but also advance climate action, health promotion, and the Sustainable Development Goals.' (ANI)
Hans India
04-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Hand hygiene not a luxury but cornerstone of safe healthcare: WHO
Hand hygiene is not a luxury but the cornerstone of safe healthcare, and is relevant to all health workers, patients and their families at every single health care encounter, Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia, said on Sunday. It contributes to quality universal health coverage, meeting Sustainable Development Goal 3.8, and strongly supports the water, sanitation, hygiene and health (WASH) agenda. Hand hygiene is also an important component of combatting antimicrobial resistance, she said as the World Hand Hygiene Day approaches on May 5. 'Infection prevention and control (IPC), which includes hand hygiene, is fundamental to safe and effective health care systems. WHO supported countries in drafting evidence-based IPC guidelines for healthcare settings, and established the WHO Core Components of IPC, a standardised framework guiding national IPC programmes, healthcare facilities, and training initiatives to ensure effective infection control,' Wazed said in a statement. WHO has also developed a Global IPC Strategy, Action Plan, and Monitoring Framework to guide Member States in effectively advancing this agenda. 'World Hand Hygiene Day 2025' coincides with the need for countries to rapidly consider implementation of the Global action plan and monitoring framework on infection prevention and control (IPC), 2024–2030 – supported by a guide to implementation — and the need to continue to improve IPC as demonstrated in the latest Global report on infection prevention and control 2024. The Global Report reveals that most countries in our South-East Asia region have an active national IPC programme, many of which are supported by national guidelines complying with national standards or with WHO set core component standards. 'The appointed IPC focal points reported having dedicated time for their tasks in most of our countries, and six of our countries have an identified, protected, and dedicated budget allocated to the IPC program according to planned activity,' said Wazed.
