WASHINGTON (CMC) – The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) has called for more to be done at the primary health care level to tackle hypertension in the Americas, including the Caribbean.

PAHO said on Friday, on the eve of World Hypertension Day on Saturday, that while countries of the Americas continue to make progress towards the prevention and control of hypertension, the principal risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), more still needs to be done.

PAHO said hypertension is a common condition which affects over 35 per cent of people aged 30-79 years in the Americas. It is the leading risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, which together cause more than 2.2 million deaths each year in the region, PAHO said. Hypertension is also a major risk factor for chronic kidney disease, dementia and complications of diabetes.

“This high level of ill-health and death caused by hypertension is unacceptable because it can be prevented,” said PAHO Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa. “Lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, limiting intake of ultra-processed food products and exercising are all highly beneficial to health.”

PAHO said policymakers also play a “crucial role in prevention”, including through the implementation of policies to promote physical activity and healthy eating, such as salt reduction in foods and front-of-package labelling to enable consumers to make healthier choices.

However, as well as focusing on prevention, Dr Barbosa underscored that countries must also ensure that people have better access to diagnosis and treatment, which will involve the equitable expansion of services at the primary health care level.

In the Americas, up to four in 10 adults have hypertension, yet one-third are unaware that they have the condition. Of those who are aware, PAHO said, only 80 per cent receive treatment, and just 60 per cent of those receiving treatment have controlled hypertension.

To address this, PAHO said its HEARTS initiative, which is a comprehensive programme that focuses on improving the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases, supports countries to improve hypertension control and CVD risk management at the primary care level.

Currently, PAHO said 33 countries in the Americas have committed to implementing HEARTS, with 7,158 primary health care facilities reaching 37 million adults — 5.7 million of whom are receiving treatment.

“HEARTS works and is our key strategy to reduce preventable deaths related to cardiovascular diseases and strengthen primary health care,” Dr Barbosa said.

“We have made great progress, with HEARTS being available in more than 80 per cent of primary health care facilities in 10 countries,” he added. “However, we need to ensure that everyone receives high-quality care, no matter where they live.”

PAHO said challenges to full implementation include limited access to clinically validated automatic blood pressure devices in clinical settings and the low availability of high-quality medicines to reduce blood pressure.

PAHO said its Regional Revolving Funds, a pooled procurement mechanism that enables countries of the Americas to access quality vaccines, essential medicines, and public health supplies at affordable prices in a timely and transparent manner, is “crucial to addressing these issues.”

“The funds offer clinically validated blood pressure devices, quality-assured antihypertensive and cholesterol-lowering medicines at competitive prices and work with countries to ensure demand-planning to facilitate the continuous access of hypertension care and technologies at the primary health care level,” PAHO said.

In addition, PAHO said its Better Care for Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) initiative, launched in 2023, aims to facilitate access to quality NCD services within primary health care systems, expanding prevention, diagnosis and treatment services for other chronic conditions, building upon existing efforts such as HEARTS.

“This World Hypertension Day, make hypertension control a top priority. Measure your blood pressure accurately, control it, and live longer,” Dr Barbosa said.