Making Healthy Food Choices on World Hypertension Day

Millions of people in India suffer from hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure. So this year on World Hypertension Day, which occurs annually on May 17, we were happy to join our Project UDAY partners PHFI and PSI at a screening camp organized by the District Hospital in Sonipat.  UDAY is a research project, funded by Eli Lilly and Company that aims to improve prevention, treatment and management of diabetes and hypertension.  The Project HOPE team presented the UDAY training program to a group of doctors and representatives from both the private and public health systems of the district. The UDAY training sessions were well received by the audience and participants alike.  The hospital’s Chief Medical Officer was especially impressed by the elements of training, which aim to make community health workers more aware of patients’ individual needs and the emotional burden of having a noncommunicable disease.  Our aim is for community health workers to raise awareness in the community about screenings for diabetes, treatment and the importance of adhering to one’s treatment.  

During the NCD screening camp, we identified people with diabetes and offered counseling on how to treat and manage the disease. Fresh, local foods were displayed on tables to prompt discussions about the importance of eating healthy foods in the correct portions to foster good health.  We also demonstrated the dangers of smoking by substituting a sponge for healthy lungs. The smoke made the sponge turn black and many understood the dangerous and unhealthy effects of smoking on the lungs.