Hypertension affects over 1 billion people worldwide. The global health care savings from effective management of blood pressure alone have been estimated at $100 billion per year, yet investment in hypertension programs remains low, especially where resources and staff are limited. Many deaths from hypertension are preventable, but hypertension care remains underfunded and under prioritized.
On 25 August, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new Guideline for the Pharmacological Treatment of Hypertension in Adults. These new guidelines – the first update in 20 years – outline key recommendations for governments, health system managers, and health care workers to effectively treat hypertension and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and preventable death. WHF has partnered with Resolve to Save Lives, the World Hypertension League, and the NCD Alliance to promote the recently released WHO hypertension treatment guidelines and advocate for the rapid adoption of these guidelines in low- and middle-income countries around the world.
Considering that 1 in 7 people with hypertension do not have their blood pressure controlled, identifying, treating, and controlling hypertension must become public health priorities. Even after being diagnosed, there are many barriers that make it difficult to live with and manage hypertension, such as complicated treatment protocols, inability to afford medication, and lack of time to return to the health clinic for follow-up visits. One of the key recommendations of the updated WHO hypertension guideline is patient-centered care. To meet each patient’s needs, a differentiated service delivery approach is recommended. Controlling blood pressure should be easy, quick, and affordable for the patient, with blood pressure screening convenient to their home and single-pill combination (SPC) medications with multi-month refills.
Download our social media kit to share with your networks here. Check back weekly for new resources on hypertension management and tips on how you can get involved in the #BeatThePressure campaign to encourage your government to adopt the new guidelines into your country’s national treatment plan.
- #BeatThePressure Campaign Social Media Toolkit
- One-page summary of WHO’s guidelines
- Template Letter to a Stakeholder: Tailor this letter to fit your country’s context and send it to the Ministry of Health, a policymaker, or another stakeholder involved in NCDs.
- Template Op-Ed: Fill in this Op-Ed with information specific to your country and submit it for publication.
- World Heart Federation’s Roadmap for Hypertension
- World Heart Federation’s Campaign Resources
- Global Heart: Patient-Centered, Sustainable Hypertension Care: The Case for Adopting a Differentiated Service Delivery Model for Hypertension Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
