The World Health Organisation, WHO, has sounded the alarm on the global burden of hypertension, revealing that 1.4 billion people were living with the condition in 2024, yet just over one in five have it under control.

The figures were contained in WHO’s second Global Hypertension Report, launched yesterday during an event co-hosted with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Resolve to Save Lives on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly.

According to the report, hypertension remains a leading cause of heart attack, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and dementia.

Despite being both preventable and treatable, WHO warned that without urgent action, millions would continue to die prematurely, while countries risk mounting economic losses.

From 2011 to 2025, cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, are projected to cost low- and middle-income countries approximately $3.7 trillion about two per cent of their combined GDP.

The report also exposed a stark inequality in access to medicines. While 93 per cent of high-income countries report general availability of all WHO recommended hypertension drugs, only seven out of 25 low-income countries representing just 28 per cent can say the same.

WHO emphasised that blood pressure medicines are among the most cost-effective public health tools. However, barriers such as weak regulatory systems, poor supply chain management, pricing gaps, and inadequate prescribing practices continue to hinder access.

President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, Dr. Tom Frieden, stressed: “Safe, effective, low-cost medicines to control blood pressure exist, but far too many people can’t get them. Closing that gap would save lives and billions of dollars every year.”

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, lamented the scale of preventable deaths linked to hypertension. “Every hour, more than 1,000 lives are lost to strokes and heart attacks caused by high blood pressure. Most of these deaths are preventable,” he said.

Meanwhile, WHO has urged caution on claims linking acetaminophen (paracetamol) use during pregnancy with autism. Addressing the issue, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic explained that while some observational studies had suggested a possible association, subsequent research had “found no such relationship.”

He warned against drawing premature conclusions from inconsistent evidence.

With hypertension and misinformation posing dual challenges, WHO reiterated its call for urgent global action to expand access to life-saving medicines and strengthen public health systems.

WHO warns of Global Hypertension Crisis as 1.4 billion people suffer condition