Uncontrolled Hypertension Puts Over One Billion People at Risk, New Report Warns

More than 1.4 billion people worldwide are living with hypertension, yet only one in five have their condition under control, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Hypertension Report 2024, released today.

The findings were unveiled during the 80th United Nations General Assembly at an event co-hosted by WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Resolve to Save Lives. The report highlights alarming gaps in the availability of essential medicines and treatment protocols, especially in low and middle-income countries where the majority of those affected live.

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, chronic kidney disease, and dementia. WHO warns that without urgent action, millions of preventable deaths will continue to occur, and economic losses will mount. Between 2011 and 2025, cardiovascular diseases including hypertension are projected to cost low and middle-income countries about US$ 3.7 trillion, roughly 2 percent of their combined GDP.

“Every hour, over 1,000 lives are lost to strokes and heart attacks from high blood pressure, and most of these deaths are preventable,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Countries have the tools to change this narrative. With political will, investment, and reforms to embed hypertension control in health services, we can save millions of lives.”

Dr. Kelly Henning, who leads the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Health Program, stressed the urgency: “Uncontrolled high blood pressure claims more than 10 million lives every year. Strong policies that raise awareness and expand access to treatment are critical to reducing cardiovascular disease and preventable deaths.”

Barriers to Control

The report, based on data from 195 countries, found that 99 have national hypertension control rates below 20 percent. Persistent challenges include weak health promotion policies, limited access to blood pressure devices, lack of standardized treatment protocols, medicine shortages, and poor patient financial protection.

Only 28 percent of low-income countries report that all WHO-recommended hypertension medicines are generally available, compared to 93 percent of high-income countries. Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, emphasized: “Safe, effective, low-cost medicines to control blood pressure exist, but far too many people cannot get them. Closing that gap will save lives and billions of dollars every year.”

Signs of Progress

Despite global setbacks, several countries have made strides. Bangladesh increased hypertension control in some regions from 15 percent to 56 percent between 2019 and 2025 by integrating treatment into its essential health services. The Philippines has rolled out WHO’s HEARTS technical package nationwide, strengthening community-level care. Meanwhile, South Korea’s reforms, such as lowering the cost of medicines and limiting patient fees, have pushed blood pressure control to 59 percent nationally.

WHO is urging all governments to embed hypertension care into universal health coverage reforms, calling it one of the most cost-effective public health measures available.

“Countries that take decisive steps now can prevent millions of premature deaths and reduce the immense social and economic toll of uncontrolled hypertension,” the report concludes.