The World Health Organisation has warned that uncontrolled high blood pressure is claiming over 10 million lives every year, despite being preventable and treatable.
In its second Global Hypertension Report released on Tuesday during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, the WHO disclosed that 1.4 billion people were living with hypertension in 2024, but only one in five had their condition under control.
The report showed that 99 countries had national hypertension control rates below 20 per cent, with the majority of the burden falling on low- and middle-income nations where access to affordable medicines and diagnostics remains weak.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, warned that the impact of uncontrolled blood pressure is catastrophic.
“Every hour, more than 1,000 lives are lost to strokes and heart attacks from high blood pressure, and most of these deaths are preventable. 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,” he said.
The Director of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Health Program, Dr Kelly Henning, said lack of strong health policies and access to medicines was worsening the crisis.
“Uncontrolled high blood pressure claims more than 10 million lives every year, despite being both preventable and treatable. 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,” she said.
President of Resolve to Save Lives, Dr Tom Frieden, emphasised that medicines were not the problem but availability.
“Safe, effective, low-cost medicines to control blood pressure exist, but far too many people can’t get them. Closing that gap will save lives and save billions of dollars every year,” he stated.
The WHO report noted that from 2011 to 2025, cardiovascular diseases including hypertension would cost low- and middle-income countries an estimated $3.7 trillion, about 2 per cent of their combined GDP.
It added that only 28 per cent of low-income countries reported that all WHO-recommended hypertension medicines were generally available in primary care facilities, compared to 93 per cent in high-income countries.
Despite the challenges, WHO highlighted progress in countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, and South Korea, which have successfully embedded hypertension treatment into primary care and universal health coverage systems, leading to higher control rates.
The organisation urged governments to prioritise hypertension care within health reforms, warning that failure to act would lead to millions more avoidable deaths and escalating economic losses.