Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure Puts Over 1 Billion People At Risk – WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO), in its second Global hypertension report, said 1.4 billion people lived with hypertension in 2024, yet just over one in five have it under control either through medication or addressing modifiable health risks.

The report also revealed that only 28 per cent of low-income countries reported that all WHO-recommended hypertension medicines are generally available in pharmacies or primary care facilities.

WHO, on its website on Tuesday, said the new report was released at an event co-hosted by WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Resolve to Save Lives during the 80th United Nations General Assembly.

According the WHO, hypertension is a leading cause of heart attack, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and dementia. It is both preventable and treatable, but without urgent action, millions of people will continue to die prematurely, and countries will face mounting economic losses.

It added that from 2011 to 2025, cardiovascular diseases–including hypertension, are projected to cost low- and middle-income countries approximately US$ 3.7 trillion, equivalent to around 2 per cent of their combined GDP.

The WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that every hour, over 1000 lives are lost to strokes and heart attacks from high blood pressure, and most of these deaths are preventable.

He added, “Countries have the tools to change this narrative. With political will, ongoing investment, and reforms to embed hypertension control in health services, we can save millions and ensure universal health coverage for all.”

Dr Kelly Henning, the leader of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Health Program, also pointed out that, “Uncontrolled high blood pressure claims more than 10 million lives every year, despite being both preventable and treatable.

He added that countries that integrate hypertension care into universal health coverage and primary care are making real progress, but too many low- and middle-income countries are still left behind.

According to him, strong policies that raise awareness and expand access to treatment are critical to reducing cardiovascular disease and preventable deaths.

WHO noted that analysis of data from 195 countries and territories showed that 99 of them have national hypertension control rates below 20 per cent. The data also showed that the majority of the affected people live in low- and middle-income countries, where health systems face resource constraints.

The report, however, highlighted major barriers in hypertension prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care to include, weak health promotion policies (on risk factors such as alcohol, tobacco use, physical inactivity, salt, and trans fats),

Others include, limited access to validated blood pressure devices, lack of standardized treatment protocols and trained primary care teams, unreliable supply chains and costly medicines, inadequate financial protection for patients, and insufficient information systems to monitor trends.

The report also noted that blood pressure medication is one of the most cost-effective public health tools, yet only 28 per cent of low-income countries report general availability of all WHO-recommended medicines, compared to 93 per cent of high-income countries.

Dr Tom Frieden, President and CEO, Resolve to Save Lives, noted that safe, effective, low-cost medicines to control blood pressure exist, but far too many people cannot get them, stressing that closing that gap will save lives and save billions of dollars every year.

WHO noted that despite barriers, progress is still possible, highlighting that Bangladesh, the Philippines, and South Korea have made significant progress by integrating hypertension care into universal health coverage (UHC), investing in primary care, and engaging communities.