WHO’s Global Hypertension Report 2025 finds 1.4 billion worldwide live with high blood pressure, but just over 20% control it—leaving more than a billion at ongoing risk for heart attacks, strokes, and preventable death. Many low- and middle-income countries lack access to affordable medicines and robust care, creating persistent barriers to progress.
WHO: Uncontrolled Hypertension Threatens Over 1 Billion Lives
According to the newly released World Health Organization (WHO) Global Hypertension Report, the world faces a massive and mounting crisis: only about one in five of the 1.4 billion living with high blood pressure have it under control, exposing over a billion people to preventable illness and early death. Hypertension is a leading contributor to heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and dementia. Low control rates persist due to urgent gaps: just 28% of low-income countries report full pharmacy access to all WHO-recommended hypertension medicines, versus 93% of high-income nations.
“Every hour, more than 1,000 lives are lost to strokes and heart attacks related to high blood pressure,” highlighted WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He called for embedding hypertension control in universal health coverage reforms and prioritizing investment in proven interventions.
The WHO report reveals that control rates are below 20% in nearly half of all countries, largely in low- and middle-income settings. Barriers include weak health promotion, lack of affordable, quality medicine, limited access to reliable blood pressure devices, and poor supply chains. Patients struggling to access care endure higher costs, unreliable medicine supplies, and a lack of trained medical staff, despite the existence of proven, low-cost treatments.
There are models of progress. Bangladesh boosted control rates from 15% to 56% in select areas by strengthening primary care and embedding services. The Philippines and South Korea improved through robust national policies and coverage expansion, showing investment and reform can yield dramatic results for millions.
WHO urges all nations to make hypertension control a health priority within universal health coverage. Removing barriers to care and scaling access to essential, WHO-recommended medicines could prevent millions of premature deaths and ease an economic toll estimated at US$ 3.7 trillion between 2011 and 2025. As mentioned in the World Health Organization release, coordinated policy action and investment in frontline care will be key to reversing the tide of global hypertension.
