WHO Report Warns Hypertension Crisis Affecting 1.4 Billion Worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its second Global Hypertension Report, revealing alarming global trends in the fight against one of the leading causes of premature death. According to the 2025 edition, 1.4 billion people lived with hypertension in 2024, yet only one in five had the condition under control, either through medication or changes in lifestyle and health behaviors.

The report was launched during the 80th United Nations General Assembly at a high-level event co-hosted by WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Resolve to Save Lives. It highlights stark disparities in access to care, especially between high-income and low-income countries.

Hypertension: The Silent Killer

Hypertension is often referred to as a "silent killer" because it frequently goes undiagnosed until it causes serious complications. It is a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, chronic kidney disease, and dementia.

WHO warns that without urgent intervention, the human and economic costs will be devastating. Between 2011 and 2025, cardiovascular diseases linked to high blood pressure are projected to cost low- and middle-income countries $3.7 trillion—around 2% of their combined GDP.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stressed the urgency:

“Every hour, over 1,000 lives are lost to strokes and heart attacks from high blood pressure, and most of these deaths are preventable. With political will, investment, and reforms to embed hypertension control in health services, we can save millions.”

A Stark Global Divide

The report underscores the sharp divide in access to treatment. While 93% of high-income countries report that all WHO-recommended hypertension medicines are generally available, only 28% of low-income countries can say the same.

Access to affordable, effective medicines is a cornerstone of hypertension control. Yet weak supply chains, costly drugs, poor regulatory systems, and limited reimbursement frameworks continue to block access for millions.

Dr Tom Frieden, President & CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, noted:

“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 billions of dollars annually.”

Persistent Barriers to Control

Drawing on data from 195 countries and territories, WHO found that 99 countries have national hypertension control rates below 20%. The majority of those affected are in resource-constrained settings.

Barriers include:

• Weak public health policies addressing alcohol, tobacco, salt, trans fats, and physical inactivity.

• Limited access to validated blood pressure monitoring devices.

• Lack of standardized treatment protocols and adequately trained primary care providers.

• Unreliable supply chains for medicines.

• Inadequate financial protection for patients.

• Poor health information systems for monitoring and follow-up.

Country-Level Progress: Examples of Hope

Despite these challenges, several countries demonstrate that progress is possible when hypertension care is prioritized within universal health coverage (UHC) reforms:

• Bangladesh: Between 2019 and 2025, control rates improved from 15% to 56% in some regions after hypertension treatment was embedded into essential health service packages and follow-up systems were strengthened.

• The Philippines: Nationwide rollout of the WHO HEARTS technical package has enabled integration of hypertension care at the community level.

• South Korea: Longstanding reforms to lower costs of antihypertensive drugs and cap patient fees resulted in 59% of adults with hypertension having it under control by 2022.

These success stories show that integrated approaches combining prevention, affordable care, and community-level engagement can yield measurable results.

A Call for Universal Action

Dr Kelly Henning of Bloomberg Philanthropies stressed the importance of embedding hypertension programs into broader health strategies:

“Uncontrolled high blood pressure claims more than 10 million lives every year. Countries that integrate hypertension care into universal health coverage and primary care are making progress, but too many low- and middle-income countries are still left behind.”

WHO urges all countries to embed hypertension control into universal health coverage, expand access to essential medicines and devices, and strengthen policies targeting risk factors. Implementing these measures could prevent millions of premature deaths while easing the growing economic and social burden of cardiovascular disease.

As WHO’s report makes clear, hypertension is preventable and treatable, but time is running out to avert an even greater public health crisis.