Bangkok: Five public-private partnerships have joined forces in a "Beat the Pressure" campaign to combat the silent threat of high blood pressure. The 'National Hypertension Dashboard' aims to drive screening, treatment, and continuous monitoring to address the problem of 75% of Thais unable to control their blood pressure, reducing economic losses of 1.6 trillion baht.
According to Thai News Agency, on World Hypertension Day, five partner organizations, led by the Hypertension Society of Thailand, the Non-Communicable Diseases Division of the Department of Disease Control, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (THPF), the Non-Communicable Diseases Network of Thailand, and AstraZeneca (Thailand) Co., Ltd., announced a national collaboration, 'Beat the Pressure: Thailand National Hypertension Alliance,' to promote the campaign 'Know Your Numbers, Control Your Pressure.' They also launched the 'National Hypertension Dashboard Program' to enhance screening, treatment connectivity, and integrated monitoring of hypertension patients nationwide. Dr. Lertlak Leelaruangsaeng, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, co-chaired the event and presented the vision at Lumpini Park, Bangkok.
Currently, high blood pressure is a leading cause of premature death worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1.4 billion people suffer from high blood pressure. In Thailand, one in four adults have this condition, and even with treatment, reports indicate that nearly 75% remain uncontrolled, while approximately 47.8% are unaware of their condition. This condition increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, and chronic kidney disease. Non-communicable diseases result in an economic loss of approximately 1.6 trillion baht per year, or 9.7% of GDP. Therefore, it is crucial to accelerate screening, treatment, and continuous follow-up to prevent serious complications.
Dr. Lertlak Leelaruangsaeng stated, 'Bangkok aims to become a healthy metropolis by driving various initiatives, such as integrated and seamless work within the Bangkok health zone, systematically connecting public health centers and affiliated hospitals, and a campaign to conduct health checkups for 1 million people to identify risks early, rather than waiting until they are sick to seek treatment. The Beat the Pressure project aligns with Bangkok's work, encouraging citizens to 'be aware, don't ignore,' and enter the continuous care system to reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease, and chronic kidney disease. This is achieved by using accurate data and effective follow-up to produce tangible results in the area.'
Dr. Krisada Hanbanchered, Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases Division, emphasized the importance of upgrading data management, stating, 'The public health budget spent on treating end-stage complications, such as lifelong dialysis or heart surgery, is a heavy burden on the country. Proactive work through the Beat the Pressure project is a worthwhile solution. The launch of the 'National Hypertension (HTN) Dashboard Program,' developed in collaboration with partners and AstraZeneca, aims to transform existing statistical data into actionable information. This system will provide in-depth data at the regional level, identifying gaps in care and areas with low blood pressure control rates. This will enable medical teams to adjust treatment plans and achieve national key performance indicators (KPIs), targeting 60% blood pressure control among all patients.'
Professor Emeritus Dr. Apichart Sukonthasarn, President of the Thai Hypertension Society, provided an academic and medical perspective, stating, 'High blood pressure often has no warning signs, but the resulting impact is a 'domino effect' that damages blood vessels throughout the body, leading to stroke, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. Our key goal is to empower Thais to 'know their blood pressure readings, seek treatment, and undergo follow-up to sustainably reduce complications.' Screening shouldn't end with just the numbers; it must connect to doctor consultations, treatment, and continuous monitoring, even if there are no abnormal symptoms. Currently, medical advancements have progressed significantly, and we believe there will be medical innovations that address these needs and make blood pressure control easier and more effective, breaking the cycle of patients progressing to serious diseases in the future.'
Ms. Petchchompoo Siriphan, Medical Director for Biopharmaceuticals at AstraZeneca (Thailand) Co., Ltd., concluded by saying, 'AstraZeneca believes in the power of collaboration between the government, academia, and the private sector to drive systemic change and create tangible results for Thai public health. In the dimension of non-communicable diseases, we have supported the development of a system for screening and monitoring chronic kidney disease through the CKD Dashboard, and we are pleased to leverage our experience to develop a follow-up system for hypertension in this project. We believe that the use of accurate data coupled with an effective patient monitoring system will be key to reducing the burden of NCDs and building sustainable health security for Thai people.'
The event was also honored by the presence of Ms. Niramon Rasri, Director of the Bureau of Health Promotion and Healthy Lifestyle, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHPF), and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phet Rod-aree, President of the Non-Communicable Diseases Network of Thailand, along with several other medical experts who participated in a panel discussion to provide knowledge on prevention and improving the accuracy of blood pressure measurement and control. A debriefing session featured Mr. Off - Pongpat Wachirabanjong, who shared his firsthand experience facing the silent threat of high blood pressure, a condition that can lead to a stroke. Representatives from the patient group also shared cautionary tales about the risk of chronic kidney disease, aiming to raise awareness and promote proactive health care among Thais. This was all accompanied by a 2.5K Walk and Run event.
The 'Beat the Pressure: Thailand National Hypertension Alliance' project is not merely a declaration of shared academic intent, but also reflects the power of collaboration between academic institutions, government agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector. Its aim is to create systemic change to concretely improve the management of hypertension, raise public awareness of blood pressure levels, prevent risks, and ultimately overcome this silent threat for sustainable health.