High blood pressure (hypertension) is the leading risk factor for death in Australia and the world, leading to 10.8 million deaths globally each year.
Currently, high blood pressure in Australia is under diagnosed and poorly managed. One in three adults in Australia have hypertension, but only half of these people know they have it. Of those, only 32% have it controlled to target levels with medication or lifestyle.
To address this national health problem, the ACvA and Hypertension Australia established the National Hypertension Taskforce with a vision to increase Australia’s blood pressure control rates from 32% to 70% by 2030.
National Hypertension Taskforce
Raised blood pressure in Australia is responsible for 43% of coronary heart disease, 41% of stroke, 38% of chronic kidney disease and 32% of atrial fibrillation.
The National Hypertension Taskforce is the cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary result of stakeholders coming together to focus on a single goal. The Taskforce is a collaboration of 25 organisations representing consumers with lived experience, primary care doctors, specialist clinicians, allied health, pharmacists, nurses, researchers, peak bodies and professional societies.
Roadmap to 70%
The Taskforce has published a Roadmap to achieve 70% blood pressure control in Australia by 2030. By working together to implement evidence-based strategies, we can (A) prevent, (B) detect and (C) treat hypertension effectively. You can view the Roadmap by clicking on the button below.
of Australians have their blood pressure under control.
But there are over 6.8 million Australians with hypertension.
in GDP saved by reducing hypertension prevalence by 25%
and improving blood pressure control in Australia
Key Issues identified
The Roadmap identified three key pillars to address hypertension control rates. These are improved Prevention, early Detection and Treating Effectively. To implement the naitonal Roadmap, the Taskforce has identified key projects that fit within this framework to drive improvements in high blood pressure control. Find out more below.
Project Title | Description |
|---|---|
Preventing, detecting and effectively treating hypertension in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples | Development of a Hypertension Strategy for First Nations Ppl |
Potassium-enriched salt substitution position statement | Development of a Taskforce endorsed position statement |
Hypertension Screening Guide for Health Professionals | Health professional information package for hypertension screening opportunities, including how BP should be measured, recorded and interpreted |
Team-based care review | A review in the Journal of Hypertension Special Issue |
BP Toolkit for hypertensive patients | A co-designed toolkit to support hypertensive patients with best practice home BP measurement |
Automated office blood pressure (AOBP) position
statement. | Taskforce publication of an automated office blood pressure (AOBP) position statement |
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