Overview

• The second Global Hypertension Report, launched at the UN General Assembly, uses 2024 data and highlights persistent treatment gaps worldwide.
• Analysis finds 99 countries with national control rates below 20%, with most people affected living in low- and middle-income countries.
• Only 28% of low-income countries report general availability of all WHO‑recommended blood pressure medicines, reflecting wider shortages, weak protocols, and financing gaps.
• Uncontrolled hypertension is linked to more than 10 million deaths each year and is part of a projected US$3.7 trillion economic burden for low- and middle-income countries from 2011 to 2025.
• Country examples show progress: Bangladesh lifted control in some regions from 15% to 56%, the Philippines scaled WHO’s HEARTS in primary care, South Korea achieved 59% national control, and India’s free generics and price ceilings yielded 70–81% control at follow-up among retained patients in Punjab and Maharashtra.