The project is being implemented in Sivaganga and Virudhunagar districts by the state health department through Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and government hospitals.

It envisages making recommendations on the curative and preventive aspects, a senior health department official said.

In the initial stage, clinics in PHCs and government hospitals have been established to reduce risk and also create awareness about hypertension among people in rural areas, who used to simply ignore it. "Awareness about hypertension will be created among schoolchildren, in work places and at the community level, the official said.

Asked how the World Bank project had helped, health systems project officer P Palanikumar said it had helped chart out programmes to improve treatment of hypertension—which if neglected, leads to strokes, heart attacks and kidney problems.

He said hypertension would start damaging the body if not treated immediately after detection. "So a comprehensive treatment programme should be started," he said.

World bank Senior Public Health Specialist (South Asia region), Michael M Engelgau, who visited government hospitals in Sivaganga and Virudhunagar districts for an on-the-spot assessment and evaluation early this month, suggested that people in their 30's change their lifestyles, which was mainly responsible for increasing incidence of hypertension.

"People in their 30s should change their lifestyles as the number of cases are high. The World Bank is providing medicines and counsellors," he said.

Health department officials said that the main reasons for prevalence of hypertension was lack of physical activity, using two-wheelers to travel even short distances, smoking and drinking of liquor.