A World Health Organization report warns of the high prevalence of hypertension in the Philippines in 2024, with 33 percent of adults aged 30 to 79 years old having high blood pressure, and only 19 percent of those affected having the condition under control.
“Hypertension, often called the ‘silent killer,’ is a major global public health threat, the WHO said in its second Global Hypertension report. “Most individuals with elevated blood pressure have no symptoms and are unaware of their condition until serious health issues arise.”
It defines hypertension as the “sustained elevation of blood pressure in the arteries” which can lead to heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, chronic kidney disease, dementia, and other serious complications.
In 2024, the WHO noted that 16.8 million Filipino adults aged 30 to 79 have hypertension. Of this number, 9.1 million or 54 percent have been diagnosed, 6.2 million have been treated, but only 3.2 million have their condition under control.
It projects that by 2030, around 20 million Filipino adults will have hypertension, based on past trends.
As the condition imposes a significant financial burden on individuals, families, health systems, and economies, the WHO underscored the urgent need for countries to implement measures for its prevention and control.
“The challenge is even more severe in low and middle-income countries, where cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, led to economic losses estimated at $3.7 trillion from 2011 to 2025 – around 2 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) in these countries,” it added.
The report showed the various risk factors that made Filipinos more susceptible to the disease, which include high sodium intake (salty foods), use of tobacco products, and prevalence of obesity in adults.
Considering that hypertension should be easily preventable, especially if those who are susceptible to it simply adopt a few lifestyle changes, there is no reason why we shouldn’t try harder to prevent or control it, either on an individual level, or as a society. It all starts with awareness.*
