Nurse Silvia Craucamp | Health Promotion Officer with the Heart and Stroke Foundation 

 Alot of work is being done to highlight the negative effects of raised blood pressure on overall health and to specifically call attention to the relationship between excessive salt intake and hypertension.

To this end, the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA), the National Department of Health (NDOH), World Action on Salt, Sugar and Health, Unilever and other important local and international partners have come together to celebrate World Hypertension Day (WHypD) tomorrow (17 May) in alignment with Salt Awareness Week from 15 - 21 May.

World Hypertension Day is a World Hypertension League initiative. The primary aim of this world health event is to increase the awareness of the dangers of high blood pressure or hypertension in populations around the world with the theme “Measure your blood pressure accurately, control it, live longer".

There is a focus on combating low awareness rates worldwide, especially in low to middle income areas, and accurate blood pressure measurement methods. Moreover, there is greater mobilisation globally, to ensure that those individuals who are diagnosed with hypertension and are on medication, are aware that they need to take their medication as prescribed in order to effectively control their condition.