Celebrate World Hypertension Day (WHD) on May 17, 2015, and Contribute to Improving Awareness of Hypertension

The World Hypertension League (WHL), in partnership with the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) and other organizations, annually promotes World Hypertension Day (WHD). For the period 2013–2018, the theme of WHD is Know Your Numbers with the goal of increasing high blood pressure (BP) awareness in all populations around the world. This decision was based on global statistics, indicating that only 50% of individuals with hypertension were aware that they actually had high BP and that only a few populations have an awareness rate of more than 75%. Furthermore, in some populations, awareness is very low, at <10%. To increase awareness of hypertension diagnosis, there are two critical components: (1) establish high‐capacity community screening programs for BP in those at risk, and (2) promote routine measurement of BP by health‐care professionals at all clinical encounters. Moreover, an important initial step to control hypertension and help achieve the United Nations 2025 goal of a 25% reduction in uncontrolled hypertension is to improve hypertension diagnosis. Enhanced BP screenings through activities of WHD‐2015 will contribute to achieving this goal. The WHL and ISH, with their member organizations and partners for national programs, will work to implement WHD screenings globally. In addition, the WHL is developing a partnership with the American Society of Hypertension (ASH) to develop a model for enhanced global WHD activities.

In 2014, the inaugural WHD campaign encouraged WHL members and partners to screen and submit BP readings for more than 100,000 people. The 2014 goal was not only achieved but far‐surpassed, with more than 300,000 being screened in more than 30 nations (http://www.whleague.org/index.php/features/World-Hypertension-day-report-draft). Importantly, much of the 2014 WHL WHD program was based on the efforts of the ASH. Encouraged by the 2014 success, the WHD‐2015 challenge is to screen more than 1 million adults in alliance with heightened awareness of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Working together, the WHL and ISH are already partnering to meet this challenge. Plans for an even greater screening challenge are under way for 2016.

The WHL and ISH encourage all members and affiliated organizations to contribute reports on BP screenings recorded between April 17 and May 17, 2015. An autofill template included as a supplement to the online version of this article for reporting WHD BP screening data will be sent to members and partners and will be made available on the WHL Web site (www.whleague.org). For the WHD‐2015 screening reporting form, participants will be asked to provide general information on their team, location, number screened, and NCD education provided. Where or when feasible, participants may also report on proportion of known treated hypertensive people screened whose BPs are “controlled” (<140 mm Hg systolic and <90 mm Hg diastolic). Ultimately, a formal report on WHD‐2015 will be issued highlighting all contributors and key indicators.

Together with the screening program, a student art competition will be launched in coordination with WHD‐2015. Details will follow. Further information can be obtained by e‐mailing the WHL office and Kimbree Redburn (kimbree.redburn@gmail.com) or the ISH office (secretariat@ish-world.com). Reports can also be submitted via e‐mail to CEO@whleague.org.

Furthermore, WHL and ISH encourage use of the WHD promotional posters produced by the ISH in 2014 in English and Spanish (http://ish-world.com/news/a/World-Hypertension-Day-ISH-Posters/). Additional versions will be made available in advance of WHD 2015. Short videos compiled by the ISH New Investigator Committee (NIC) highlight Healthy Blood Pressure Tips and How to Maintain a Healthy Blood Pressure and can be viewed on the ISH Web site (http://ish-world.com/news/a/ISH-World-Hypertension-Day-videos/). Further video coverage will follow for 2015.

To assist sites in screenings, the WHL has developed a series of resources to aid community‐based BP screening. These are available to all (http://www.whleague.org/index.php/j-stuff/blood-pressure-assessment-train-the-trainer). In addition to screening protocols, a Train the Trainer module for establishing an evidence‐based BP screening site, supporting PowerPoint slide sets and YouTube videos, are available. The WHL has also developed a policy statement to strongly encourage the use of automated BP devices rather than manual BP readings in nearly all screening and clinical settings. These screening approaches are already in use in Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Haiti, Brazil, and Canada, with enhanced versions expected in 2016. The Web‐based resources are currently being translated into Spanish, French and Portuguese.

The WHL and ISH recognize that there are complex challenges to the prevention and control of hypertension globally, and, in most settings, efforts to prevent and control hypertension are not comprehensive nor coordinated. To help counter this, the WHL and ISH challenge all members and partners to participate in the WHD celebration with rigorous BP measurement and NCD awareness efforts in the community and clinical settings, and to report the results of the screening activities. Please begin your planning, gathering resources, community outreach, and sponsors to maximize the number screened. We look forward to everyone's participation and compiling and publishing the results of WHD‐2015.

NOTE: If your organization would like to partially sponsor WHD‐2015 or a particular community BP screening for the event, please e‐mail either kimbree.redburn@gmail.com or CEO@whleague.org for details.

Supported By:

World Hypertension League

Norm Campbell, President

Daniel Lackland, Vice President & President‐Elect

Kimbree Redburn, Population Health & Economics Specialist

Mark Niebylski, Chief Executive Officer

International Society of Hypertension, Middlesex, UK

Rhian Touyz, President