Wellcome Trust Funds Major AKU Research on High Blood Pressure

The UK-based Wellcome Trust recently awarded a US$ 500,000 research grant to AKU for a study on high blood pressure. The project, entitled 'Population-based strategies for effective control of high blood pressure in Pakistan', is an investigator-initiated intervention study designed by Dr. Tazeen Jafar (MBBS, '90), Assistant Professor, and her colleagues from the departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences at AKU. To date, this is the largest intervention study in the country on controlling hypertension.

Hypertension is a major public health problem in Pakistan, affecting about 20 percent of the population aged 15 and over. "In Pakistan, one in three middle-aged individuals suffer from hypertension, which is the most common risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney diseases. However, the majority of hypertensive patients are either under-diagnosed or under-treated. This study will evaluate affordable strategies for lowering blood pressure in our population", said Dr. Tazeen Jafar, who is also Director, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, and Head, Section of Nephrology, AKU.

The three-year community-based study will be undertaken by a team of 40 health professionals, who will first receive three months of intensive training in providing health education and research methodologies. This will be followed by population-based home health education, and training of general practitioners in cost effective treatments of hypertension. The long-term objective is to spearhead the development of a sustainable and applicable nationwide blood pressure control programme.

Dr. Mohammad Khurshid, Dean Medical College, AKU, hoped that “other institutions in Pakistan will also take measures to promote a much needed research culture  for combating diseases that pose a heavy burden on our population." These sentiments were also echoed by his colleagues, Dr. Wasim Jafri, Chairman, Department of Medicine as well as Dr. Masood Kadir, Acting Chairman, Department of Community Health Sciences.