History & Mission
MISSION
Blood Pressure Canada strives to increase awareness about hypertension and reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Canada through the prevention and control of hypertension.
HISTORY
The Canadian Coalition for High Blood Pressure Prevention and Control (CCHBPPC), now known as Blood Pressure Canada, was established in 1984. It is a volunteer, non-profit charitable organization. The founding organizations included the Atlantic Canada Working Group on Hypertension, and Health Canada. The founding President was Dr. J. George Fodor, also founding president of the Canadian Hypertension Society a few years earlier. In the early years the coalition spent a lot of time formulating a plan of action to combat hypertension in Canada. Much time was devoted to determining the most effective way to reach Canadians about hypertension.
In 1990, the coalition sponsored the first national recommendations for non-pharmacological therapy for hypertension.
In 1992, an analysis of the epidemic of hypertension in Canada showed that more efforts were needed to address the so-called “silent killer”. One in every five adult Canadians had high blood pressure.
From 1994-1995 the coalition developed an update to the non-pharmacological therapy recommendations as well as recommendations for the measurement, referral and follow-up of hypertension. National recommendations for self measurement of hypertension with a prototype of an implementation program including “Train-the-Trainer” teaching sessions and an assessment of training were also developed.
In 1995, the Coalition helped to organize the World Conference on Hypertension Control in conjunction with the World Hypertension League. The event was held in Ottawa. Blood Pressure Canada continues to have close ties with the World Hypertension League, and actively promotes World Hypertension Day each year.
In the fall of 1996, an expert working group was established to problem solve. The expert working group included Dr. Arun Chockalingam, Dr. Norman Campbell, Dr. Robert Petrella, and Dr. Terrence Ruddy, all of whom were influential members of Blood Pressure Canada and the Coalition at some time in its history. Subsequently, in 1998, the Coalition received funding from Health Canada (Population Health Fund) to develop a National Strategy on Hypertension Prevention & Control. In January 2000, the National High Blood Pressure Prevention and Control Strategy was published.
Beginning in 1995 the coalition developed national recommendations for improving adherence to lifestyle and drug hypertension therapies. From 1997-1999 the Coalition, in partnership with the Canadian Hypertension Society developed the world’s first set of ‘evidence based’ recommendations on lifestyle therapy to prevent and control hypertension. In 1999, the two organizations cooperated to produce pharmacologic and diagnostic recommendations for hypertension management.
Between 1998 and 1999 the Coalition initiated the development of a process to annually update hypertension recommendations and to pair the process to an extensive program to implement the recommendations. The Coalition and Blood Pressure Canada today, have had close ties with the Canadian Hypertension Society. Sometimes known as the “public health sister” of the Canadian Hypertension Society, Blood Pressure Canada complements the specialty and scientific expertise of the Canadian Hypertension Society. Out of this collaboration the Canadian Hypertension Education Program was born.
The Coalition was also extensively involved in the dissemination of Health Canada’s Healthy Heart Kit including the development and running of training sessions and dissemination of the kit.
A study on public awareness of hypertension was conducted by the Coalition in 2001. The study found Canadians had little knowledge of hypertension but had many misperceptions. A regional study found an extensive but short-lived media awareness program had a significant but short-lived improvement in hypertension knowledge and awareness.
Beginning in 2001, the Coalition developed a proposal to have a Canadian Hypertension Chair with a mandate to lead the effort to improve the prevention, treatment and control of hypertension in Canada. In October 2005, after many years of background work, the Canadian Chair in Hypertension Prevention & Control was established. Its purpose was to enable an outstanding leader in the hypertension community to develop strategies and awareness with the end goal of decreasing the prevalence of hypertension in Canada. This award was made possible by partnership of CIHR (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) with, Aventis Pharma (a member of Sanofi-Aventis), the Coalition, and the Canadian Hypertension Society. The inaugural award was given to Dr. Norman Campbell in May 2006.
In 2004, the Coalition developed and disseminated a media guide to assist the media in Canada in finding objective information about blood pressure.
In 2005, the Coalition changed its name to Blood Pressure Canada. This was to facilitate better communication to the public for the organization.
In 2006, Blood Pressure Canada co-hosted a symposium to train healthcare professionals to deliver standardized hypertension education. Blood Pressure Canada is now focusing on public and patient education, and reduction in dietary salt as a means to prevent and control hypertension.
In 2007, Blood Pressure Canada launched an extensive program to increase public knowledge about hypertension. Blood Pressure Canada also focused on reducing sodium additives to food as a means of reducing prevalence of hypertension in Canada.
HOW DO I JOIN BLOOD PRESSURE CANADA?
Organizations or corporate partners interested in becoming members of Blood Pressure Canada may contact the Coordinator.
HOW DO I CONTRIBUTE TO BLOOD PRESSURE CANADA’s CAUSE?
Blood Pressure Canada is a registered charity. If you or your organization is interested in making a donation, please contact our Coordinator.