WHO 2nd Global Hypertension Report

The World Health Organization (WHO) published its 2nd Global Hypertension Report in 2025, highlighting hypertension prevention and control as a key accelerator toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3 - particularly target 3.4.1 on reducing premature mortality rates from NCDs by one third by 2030 and advancing universal health coverage.

As part of this process and recognizing that people with lived experience of hypertension bring critical, contextual, and firsthand insights into the barriers and enablers across the full continuum of hypertension care, the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on NCDs (GCM/NCD), in collaboration with the WHO Cardiovascular Diseases team, convened a lived experience focus group discussion to inform the development of the 2nd Global Hypertension report. This approach aligns with WHO’s Framework for Meaningful Engagement of People Living with NCDs, Mental Health and Neurological Conditions, which outlines key principles, enablers, and recommendations to meaningfully engage people with lived experience across the health policy cycle.

The focus group aimed to:

• Identify real-world barriers and enablers to hypertension prevention and control.
• Gather personal insights and stories to contextualize the report narrative.
• Co-develop and validate practical recommendations rooted in lived experience.

Twelve participants with lived experience of hypertension – often as a comorbidity to related CVD conditions or other NCDs – from diverse backgrounds across all six WHO regions and disciplines were involved in the focus groups. The focus groups were facilitated by twopeople with lived experience of hypertension and hypertension-associated conditions, Anita Sabidi from Indonesia and Michael Uchunor from Nigeria. Engaging people with lived experience to co-lead the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of research, policies, and programmes ensures that these efforts are rooted in real-world experience and grounded in meaningful involvement. It ensures that they are not just consulted for report building, but that they have a hand in creating discussions, and safe, inclusive spaces. In addition, meaningful engagement of people with lived experience was a cross-cutting theme that was a substantive focus of participant reflections and recommendations. The discussions provided a deeper understanding of the current trends, challenges, and opportunities in hypertension prevention and management.

A key takeaway from the session was the urgent need for increased awareness and education about hypertension—both among the general public and within healthcare systems.

“I truly appreciate the recognition and inclusion of lived experience participation in this work. Elevating the voices of people with lived experience is essential to ensuring that policies and programs remain grounded in real-world perspectives and needs.” - Anita Sabidi, lived experience facilitator

“Participation in this process enhanced my appreciation of the importance of collaboration, evidence-based policies, and multi-sectoral approaches in addressing non-communicable diseases. The experience also underscored the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure equitable health outcomes for all populations.” Michael Uchunor, lived experience facilitator