The World Health Organization (WHO) raised an alarm about the global impact of uncontrolled high blood pressure, which it says causes over 10 million deaths every year.

The warning comes from WHO’s second Global Hypertension Report, which revealed that more than 1.4 billion people worldwide are living with hypertension, yet only about 20% have their condition properly managed.

The report was launched during an event held alongside the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and Resolve to Save Lives.

Findings show that most people affected by hypertension live in low- and middle-income countries, where healthcare systems often lack the resources to provide effective care. Only 28% of low-income nations reported that all WHO-recommended hypertension medications are consistently available in local pharmacies or primary health facilities.

Hypertension significantly increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and dementia. Despite being both preventable and treatable, the condition continues to cause millions of avoidable deaths and puts a financial strain on national economies. Between 2011 and 2025, cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, are expected to cost developing countries around $3.7 trillion—roughly 2% of their combined GDP.

WHO’s Director-General, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, stated that over 1,000 people die every hour from strokes and heart attacks related to high blood pressure, many of which could be prevented. He called for countries to take stronger action by investing in health services and incorporating hypertension care into broader health coverage strategies.

Dr. Kelly Henning from Bloomberg Philanthropies pointed out that countries making hypertension a core part of universal health coverage have seen progress, but many others are still behind. She emphasized the need for stronger policies, greater awareness, and expanded treatment access.

The report includes data from 195 countries and territories, revealing that 99 have hypertension control rates below 20%. Barriers include weak health promotion efforts, lack of affordable medications, limited access to proper diagnostic tools, and undertrained healthcare workers. In many places, medicine supply chains are unreliable, and patients face high treatment costs.

Though medications for blood pressure are affordable and effective, availability remains low in poor countries. Only 7 out of 25 low-income countries offer widespread access to all essential drugs, compared to 93% in high-income countries.

Dr. Tom Frieden of Resolve to Save Lives said that better access to low-cost, effective blood pressure medicine could save lives and billions in healthcare costs.

Despite the challenges, some countries have made significant progress. Bangladesh, for example, improved hypertension control from 15% to 56% in certain areas between 2019 and 2025 by including treatment in its essential health services and improving follow-up care. The Philippines has introduced WHO’s HEARTS technical package nationwide, and South Korea has achieved a national control rate of 59% through healthcare reforms and affordable treatment.

WHO is urging all nations to embed hypertension care in their health systems. Following the report’s recommendations could prevent millions of early deaths and reduce the heavy social and economic toll of uncontrolled high blood pressure.