WHO releases report on global impact of high BP

Source: The post is based on the article “WHO releases report on global impact of high BP”published in The Hindu on 20th September 2023

What is the News?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first-ever report on the devastating global impact of High Blood Pressure(BP) or Hypertension.

What are the key findings of the WHO Report on High Blood Pressure(BP)?

Globally: Hypertension affects 1 in 3 adults worldwide.This common deadly condition leads to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage and many other health problems.

The number of people living with hypertension doubled between 1990 and 2019, from 650 million to 1.3 billion. 

Nearly half of people with hypertension globally are currently unaware of their condition. 

More than three-quarters of adults with hypertension live in low- and middle-income countries.

Approximately 4 out of every 5 people with hypertension are not adequately treated, but if countries can scale up coverage, 76 million deaths could be averted between 2023 and 2050. 

Hypertension in India: The 2019-20 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) reported a hypertension prevalence of 24% in men and 21% among women, an increase from 19% and 17% respectively, from the previous round (2015-16).

Hypertension is the most important risk factor for death and disability in India.

Less than one-fourth of hypertensive patients in India had their blood pressure under control during 2016-2020.

What are the recommendations given by WHO to control Hypertension?

Protocol: practical dose- and drug-specific treatment protocols with specific action steps for managing uncontrolled blood pressure can streamline care and improve adherence.

Medication and equipment supply: regular, uninterrupted access to affordable medication is necessary for effective hypertension treatment; currently, prices for essential anti-hypertensive medicines vary by more than ten-fold between countries.

Team-based care: patient outcomes improve when a team collaborates to adjust and intensify blood pressure medication regimens per doctor orders and protocols.

Patient-centred services: to reduce barriers to care by providing easy-to-take medication regimens, free medications and close-to-home follow-up visits, and making blood pressure monitoring readily available.

Information systems: user-centered, simple information systems facilitate rapid recording of essential patient-level data, reduce health care worker data entry burden, and support rapid scale-up while maintaining or improving the quality of care.