WHO: Over half of adults in Bosnia live with hypertension

Around 1.1 million adults in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) live with hypertension. With 53% prevalence, citizens of BiH exceed the global average by 20 percentage points, underscoring the urgency for action. Only one in five individuals with hypertension achieves healthy blood pressure levels, compared to one in three worldwide.

Erwin Cooreman, WHO Special Representative in BiH, said: “Hypertension is, in most cases, manageable. Investing in detection, treatment, and control will save thousands of lives and reduce future healthcare costs. Scaling up primary health care and ensuring access to adequate measures such as stress avoidance and a healthy diet, as well as affordable medication, are key to closing the treatment and control gap.”

Hypertension is a leading cause of heart attack, stroke, chronic kidney disease, and dementia. Without urgent action, millions of people will continue to die prematurely, and countries will face mounting economic losses. From 2011 to 2025, cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, were estimated to cost low and middle-income countries approximately US$3.7 trillion, equivalent to around 2% of their combined GDP.

"Every hour, over 1000 lives are lost due to strokes and heart attacks resulting from high blood pressure, and most of these deaths are preventable," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General. "Countries have the tools to change this narrative. With political will, necessary investment, and reforms to embed hypertension control in health services, we can save millions and ensure universal health coverage for all."

The new report was released at an event co-hosted by WHO, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Resolve to Save Lives during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.