A Silent Killer Claims 1,000 Lives Every Hour: WHO Sounds Alarm On Global Hypertension Crisis

Over 1,000 lives are lost every hour to heart attacks and strokes linked to uncontrolled high blood pressure — the majority of them entirely preventable, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned in its Global Hypertension Report 2024, released this week at the 80th United Nations General Assembly.

Despite the enormous toll, the report finds that only one in five people living with hypertension — a staggering 1.4 billion worldwide — has the condition under control, either through medication or lifestyle changes. In low-income countries, the situation is especially dire: only 28 per cent report general availability of WHO-recommended blood pressure medicines in public pharmacies or primary care facilities. The corresponding figure in high-income nations is over 90 per cent.

“Every hour, over 1,000 lives are lost to strokes and heart attacks caused by high blood pressure — the majority of which are preventable,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Countries have the tools to reverse this trend. With sustained investment and stronger political commitment, hypertension control can become a cornerstone of universal health coverage.”

The report, developed in collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Resolve to Save Lives, lays bare systemic gaps across the continuum of care — from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and long-term management. Alarmingly, 99 countries reported national hypertension control rates below 20 per cent, with the majority of affected individuals residing in low- and middle-income countries, where overburdened health systems and weak public health policies continue to undermine progress.

Hypertension is a leading contributor to heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney failure, and dementia, yet it remains one of the most neglected health threats globally. From 2011 to 2025, cardiovascular diseases — including hypertension — are projected to cost low- and middle-income nations USD 3.7 trillion, equivalent to nearly 2 per cent of their combined GDP, according to the report.

“Uncontrolled blood pressure is one of the most preventable causes of death globally, yet too many countries are failing to respond,” said Dr. Kelly Henning, head of Bloomberg’s Public Health Program. “Integrating hypertension services into universal health coverage (UHC) and expanding access to medicines can significantly reduce preventable deaths.”

The report attributes low control rates to a host of barriers: weak policies on modifiable risk factors (tobacco, alcohol, salt, trans fats), poor access to validated blood pressure devices, lack of standardised treatment protocols, inadequate primary care capacity, and unreliable medicine supply chains. Compounding the crisis is the financial burden placed on patients, especially in countries without robust public healthcare systems.

“Safe, effective, low-cost medicines exist, but they are still out of reach for too many,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO, Resolve to Save Lives. “Bridging this gap will not only save millions of lives but also yield substantial economic benefits for countries.”

Nonetheless, the report identifies success stories. Countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea have demonstrated that progress is possible through strategic reforms — integrating hypertension care into UHC, investing in primary care systems, and building community engagement around blood pressure monitoring and treatment adherence.

The WHO has called on all governments to embed hypertension control within broader health reforms, prioritise essential medicine availability, and adopt evidence-based public health measures to combat the disease.

If implemented, these actions could prevent millions of premature deaths and reduce the massive social and economic toll exacted by this silent global epidemic, it noted.