WHO releases its second Global Hypertension Report

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday released its second Global Hypertension Report, showing that 1.4 billion people live with hypertension in 2024, yet just over one in five have it under control.

The new report, released at an event co-hosted by WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Resolve to Save Lives during the UN General Assembly, also reveals that only 7 out of 25 low-income countries report that all five WHO-recommended hypertension medicines are generally available in pharmacies or primary care facilities.

From 2011 to 2025, cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, have been projected to cost low- and middle-income countries around USD 3.7 trillion- roughly 2% of GDP.