World Hypertension Day 2025

World Hypertension Day, celebrated annually on May 17, serves as a critical platform for raising awareness about hypertension and promoting its prevention, detection, and management. This year marks the 20th anniversary of this observance, under the compelling theme, “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer!”

Hypertension, often referred to as a silent killer, remains a leading public health challenge due to high prevalence among adults. It affects over 294 million individuals across the WHO South-East Asia Region. Modifiable behavioral risk factors, including tobacco and alcohol consumption, excessive salt intake, sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary choices, and mental stress significantly contribute to rising prevalence of hypertension. The outcomes of uncontrolled hypertension are severe, significantly increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, and other cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

There is an impeding need to prevent individuals from risk factors responsible for hypertension, as well to bridge the treatment gap through early diagnosis and timely initiation of therapy. A hypertensive condition is considered ‘controlled’ when systolic blood pressure (BP) remains below 140 mmHg and diastolic BP below 90 mmHg, achievable through a combination of medication and lifestyle adjustments.

Responding to rising prevalence of hypertension with resultant increasing burden of cardiovascular diseases, the Seventy-sixth Session of the South East Asia Regional Committee endorsed the resolution SEAHEARTS: Accelerating prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases in the South-East Asia Region (SEA/R76/R5) that urges countries to take cost effective interventions to collectively achieve four milestones  including the milestone of placing 100 million people with hypertension and diabetes on protocol- based management by 2025. The measures include measures tobacco control, salt reduction and eliminating industrially produced trans-fatty acids, along with interventions to improve the treatment cascade and reduce treatment gap of hypertension and diabetes through primary health care.

In Sri Lanka, one in three adults is affected by hypertension. The 2021 Sri Lanka NCD risk factor survey (STEPS) revealed that approximately 34.8% of adults aged 30- 70 years have a raised blood pressure, marking a nearly 25% increase from the 2015 STEPS survey. Alarmingly, more than half (54%) of those with raised blood pressure were unaware of their condition. Among those who were aware, around 20% were not receiving any form of medication, while only 40% had their blood pressure adequately controlled despite treatment. Sri Lanka has expanded screening, diagnosis and management services to reduce this treatment gap under the SEAHEARTS initiative.

The survey also highlighted a concerning prevalence of risk factors among adults. Approximately one-third of adults are physically inactive. Nearly 70% reported inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables, and the prevalence of high blood cholesterol levels (total cholesterol ≥ 5.0 mmol/l or 190 mg/dl) stood at 48%, nearly doubling since 2015. This trend reflects a growing issue of overweight and obesity within the population. Furthermore, daily salt intake averaged 8.5 grams among adults, significantly exceeding the WHO’s recommended limit of less than 5 grams per day.

World Hypertension Day 2025: “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer”. Courtesy: Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka

In response to increasing burden of hypertension and its risk factors, the Ministry of Health has intensified its health system initiatives, implemented multisectoral actions, and promoted public awareness. Sri Lanka has launched targeted programs, establishing healthy lifestyle centers aimed at enhancing adult screening processes. Additionally, a straightforward hypertension treatment protocol has been developed based on the 2021 WHO Guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults. Pilot projects in select provinces have demonstrated success in improving case detection and management for individuals prescribed medication. Notably, Sri Lanka has pioneered mandatory front-of-pack traffic-light labeling regulations for pre-packaged solid and semi-solid processed foods (Regulations 2019-No 2119/3 (86)), which employs color coding based on sugar, salt, and fat content. National guidelines have also been crafted to boost physical activity among all age groups and within workplace settings.

Despite these commendable efforts, the upward trend in prevalence, coupled with persistent gaps in screening and treatment, poses ongoing challenges. WHO estimates suggest that out of nearly 4.3 million hypertensive adults in Sri Lanka, only 1.5 million are currently receiving treatment. This disparity underscores the urgent need to enhance case detection through screening and improve treatment coverage and adherence to therapy to bolster blood pressure control rates.

The WHO Sri Lanka is collaborating with the Directorate of Noncommunicable Diseases within the Ministry of Health to implement the SEAHEARTS initiative, which aims to enhance hypertension coverage in Sri Lanka. This initiative is designed to provide protocol-based treatment for nearly one million additional individuals over the next three years, along with improved engagement of the healthcare workforce for case identification and treatment adherence. Multisectoral advocacy efforts will be sustained and accelerated to promote healthy lifestyles and implement national guidelines on nutritious diets and physical activity, while active screening will be expanded to improve case detection. WHO will partner with local stakeholders to address service delivery gaps, allocate resources effectively, and enhance treatment compliance among individuals affected by hypertension in Sri Lanka, with the ambitious goal of achieving 50% treatment coverage by 2025.

Hypertension screening clinic in progress at a Healthy Lifestyle Centre. Courtesy: Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka

On this World Hypertension Day 2025, let us recommit ourselves to collective action. Together, we can ensure that every individual can lead a longer, healthier life—free from the preventable complications associated with hypertension. 

Links

WHO Global Report on Hypertension: The race against a silent killer. 2023.

Hypertension Sri Lanka 2023 country profile.

WHO Guideline for the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults.2021.

WHO SEAHEARTS for accelerating CVD Control. 

SEAHEARTS: Accelerating prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases in the South-East Asia Region