The prevention and control of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, requires political will on the part of governments and policy-makers along with the efforts of health workers, the academic research community, civil society, the private sector and families and individuals. Everyone has a role to play.
Governments and policy-makers
- Implement public health policies and interventions that are affordable, sustainable and cost-effective.
- Integrate hypertension control programmes that address total cardiovascular risk as an integral part of national strategies for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases.
- Set up a surveillance and monitoring system to track the prevalence of hypertension and other noncommunicable diseases.
- Ensure equitable access to preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services.
- Promote actions at the primary health care level that target prevention and health promotion.
- Ensure the availability of essential medicines for the control of hypertension.
- Strengthen all components of the health system: governance, financing, information, human resources, service delivery and access to quality generic medicines and basic technologies.
- Mobilize population-wide approaches to reduce the exposure of the whole population to risk factors such as unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and tobacco use.
Health workers
- Raise awareness on hypertension among different population groups through blood pressure measurement campaigns and health education programmes in the workplace.
- Follow WHO guidelines and tools to manage hypertension cost-effectively in primary health care settings.
- Follow WHO guidance on the appropriate use of medicines in an affordable and sustainable manner.
Academia and professional associations
- Build the capacity of primary health care physicians and non-physician health workers in the detection and management of hypertension.
- Institutionalize training on the detection and management of hypertension within the educational curricula for physicians, nurses and allied health workers.
- Generate and disseminate scientific evidence to inform implementation of appropriate cost-effective measures for prevention and control of hypertension.
Civil societies and nongovernmental organizations
- Partner with academia to build both workforce capacity and the skills of individuals, families and communities.
- Advocate with policy-makers about the influence of living conditions and behaviour on blood pressure levels.
- Mobilize political and social awareness to address hypertension and other noncommunicable diseases.
- Provide prevention and health care services that fill gaps in the public and private sectors.
- Improve access to parks and playgrounds and create safe neighbourhoods for physical activity.
The private sector, excluding the tobacco industry
- Practice and ensure responsible marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages, particularly to children.
- Ensure correct labelling of food products to enable consumers to make healthy choices.
- Contribute to the development of cutting-edge health technologies and applications for the detection of high blood pressure.
- Promote workplace-based wellness programmes by establishing tobacco-free workplaces, implementing occupational health and safety measures and health insurance plans and creating environments for walking, cycling, sports and other physical activities.
- Work towards making essential medicines more affordable and accessible.
Individuals
- Have your blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure has no symptoms in most people.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle (eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, get regular exercise, stop smoking).
- If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, participate actively in managing the condition.
- Adopt healthy behaviours
- Monitor blood pressure regularly
- Check blood sugar, blood cholesterol and urine albumin
- Check cardiovascular risk using a risk assessment tool
- Follow medical advice and comply with medication.
World Health Organization
- Provide evidence-based guidance and implementation tools to assist countries in addressing hypertension through a combination of interventions focused on individuals and the whole population.
- Coordinate the development of a global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and a global monitoring framework.
- Monitor the impact of action to address hypertension and other noncommunicable diseases.
