Resolve to Save Lives India and partners across the country celebrated World Hypertension Day 2026 with a range of activities, including screening drives, capacity building workshops and community awareness campaigns — bringing early blood pressure detection closer to millions of people.
RTSL India
RTSL India hosted a webinar exploring a critical question: how can hypertension control in India be scaled up to reach every person who needs it?
Speakers—including Dr. Amol Vankhede of WHO India, Dr. Manohar Agnani, former Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Alka Sharma of Uttar Pradesh, Dr. A. Muruganathan, past president of the Association of Physicians of India, NCD Officer from Meghalaya Mr. Tenneychell, and Dr. Cherian Varghese, Professor and Director at Prasanna School of Public Health, Manipal—echoed a common message: the foundations are strong, but India’s 2030 goals demand deeper integration and stronger continuity of care. India’s journey shows what is possible when simple protocols, committed health workers and strong government leadership come together.
Watch a recording of the webinar here
Smt. Preeti Sudan, former Union Health Secretary and RTSL Chair, published an op-ed in Hindustan Times and Rajasthan Patrika highlighting the role of community and frontline health workers in detecting high blood pressure early and keeping patients on treatment. Strong communities, she argues, are key to beating India’s leading killer.
Jhpiego and AIIMS Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh
On May 15, Jhpiego India, AIIMS Gorakhpur and the District Health Society trained 60 Community Health Officers on hypertension and diabetes management, covering counselling, treatment adherence and patient follow-up. A standout feature was an interactive role-play session; participants stepped into the roles of doctors, patients and health officers, and receivedreal-time feedback from AIIMS faculty to sharpen their communication and clinical skills.
NHM Madhya Pradesh and IPE Global
Harda, Khandwa, Rajgarh, Shajapur and Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh
Across all five districts covered by the SPANDAN project, health authorities ran screening drives for people aged 30 and above; all patients who received a hypertension diagnosis were started on treatment and tracked through the NCD App, with community health workers responsible for tracing those who miss follow-ups in the future. Khandwa went further, holding a week-long block-level training on revised hypertension and diabetes protocols for frontline workers. In Rajgarh and Shajapur, health camps at district collectorates screened government staff, a visible signal that high blood pressure control is a whole-of-government priority.
Karnataka state health programme
Ramanagara, Raichur and districts statewide, Karnataka
Medical officers, NCD programme staff and counsellors held awareness sessions across Karnataka on blood pressure risk factors, lifestyle changes and treatment adherence. Screening in Ramanagara reached beyond health facilities into the district prison,bringing preventive care to a group that rarely receives it. Ayushman Arogya Kendras across the district hosted community activities, while health check-up camps in Raichur extended reach further.
Together, these efforts reflect the momentum partners across India are building to detect and control high blood pressure earlier — contributing to the global goal of bringing blood pressure control from 21% to 50% by 2050.
