WHO: Uncontrolled Hypertension Threatens 1.4 Billion Lives Worldwide
By DIANA CHUKWUKA
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that uncontrolled high blood pressure is endangering over 1.4 billion people globally, despite being both preventable and treatable.
In its second Global Hypertension Report, launched during the UN General Assembly in New York, WHO revealed that only one in five people with hypertension have it under control, while millions remain undiagnosed or untreated, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Hypertension is a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and dementia, claiming more than 10 million lives annually. WHO estimates cardiovascular diseases linked to high blood pressure will cost poorer countries $3.7 trillion between 2011 and 2025.
The report highlights barriers such as poor access to affordable medicines, weak health promotion policies, and underfunded primary care systems. Only 28% of low-income countries report consistent availability of WHO-recommended hypertension medicines, compared to 93% in high-income nations.
Despite these gaps, WHO pointed to progress in countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, and South Korea, where integrating hypertension care into primary healthcare has dramatically improved control rates.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus urged governments to act decisively: “Every hour, over 1,000 lives are lost to preventable strokes and heart attacks from high blood pressure. With political will and investment, millions of lives can be saved.”
