Hypertension demands a louder response

The statistics presented at a recent seminar marking World Hypertension Day 2026 must serve as a wake-up call for our policymakers. Hypertension affects around 28 percent of adults in Bangladesh—nearly 2.28 crore people—and drives all non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which account for a staggering 71 percent of all deaths in the country. Referring to the condition as the “silent killer,” experts in the seminar elucidated why it can no longer be sidelined.

While the establishment of 446 NCD corners helped raise the national hypertension control rate from 15 percent to 56 percent over the past six years, interventions remain disproportionate to the scale of the crisis. It is deeply concerning that despite NCDs causing 51 percent of premature mortality in the country, merely five percent of the national health budget is allocated for their control. After all, $1 invested in hypertension control generates a $18 return through improved productivity, experts pointed out.

Equally worrying is the structural bias evident in the way diseases related to hypertension are studied and tracked. For example, a study presented at the seminar, conducted in Dhaka’s Dohar upazila, highlighted erectile dysfunction (ED), which can be caused by high blood pressure, as a critical early warning sign for cardiovascular disease and stroke. Vascular complications become visible through the condition three to five years before a formal heart disease diagnosis, as per the study.

While identifying early vascular complications is medically invaluable, question arises about the lack of similar studies focused on women. Contrary to many global trends, Bangladeshi women experience a higher prevalence of hypertension compared to men. Yet, the search for early preventative markers in this context seemingly does not exist. Women already face significant sociocultural barriers to accessing healthcare in Bangladesh. Localised preventative research should be conducted to reduce this gender gap.  Gender-inclusive research that identifies practical early warning signs for all demographics, not just half of the population, is urgently necessary.

To protect the population from the silent killer, public awareness of the need for regular screening should be raised, and a healthy lifestyle encouraged. We urge the government to drastically rethink its health budget allocations to reflect the true burden of NCDs. We need an ironclad guarantee of uninterrupted medicine supplies to local clinics, and a medical research ecosystem that is inclusive and representative of the entire nation. The authorities concerned must act decisively before hypertension claims more lives.