Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 23: The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised India’s public health strategy to manage hypertension, highlighting it as a successful example of affordable, accessible care through price regulation, free medicine distribution, and promotion of generic drugs.
In its 2025 Global Report on Hypertension, released during the 80th United Nations General Assembly, the WHO commended India’s multi-pronged approach, calling it a model for improving blood pressure control rates and reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease.
India’s efforts, particularly through the India Hypertension Control Initiative (IHCI) launched in 2018–19, have significantly expanded access to free, quality-assured generic antihypertensive medicines across public sector clinics. The program relies on simple treatment protocols, efficient procurement systems, and a robust supply chain, ensuring patients receive consistent care.
Complementing this is the National Free Drugs Service Initiative and the work of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), which has enforced price ceilings on essential hypertension drugs under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO). By calculating price limits based on average market prices, the NPPA keeps medicines affordable, while allowing sustainable margins for manufacturers.
According to the WHO report, these reforms have drastically lowered out-of-pocket costs for patients. Medicines purchased through public clinics or Jan Aushadhi stores can cost up to 80% less than their private-sector counterparts, vastly improving affordability and access.
The report also highlighted the dramatic improvement in hypertension control rates. Before these reforms, only 14% of adults with hypertension in India had their blood pressure under control. However, recent data from Punjab and Maharashtra showed that among patients who stayed in care and followed treatment protocols, control rates rose to 70–81%, with mean systolic blood pressure reductions of 15–16 mmHg.
“These improvements demonstrate that public investment in affordable, accessible antihypertensive medicines not only enhances clinical outcomes but also reduces the economic burden of cardiovascular disease,” the WHO stated, adding that the approach offers high-value returns by preventing costly heart attacks, strokes, and other complications.
Globally, the WHO report estimated that 1.4 billion people were living with hypertension in 2024, but only about 20% had it under control. The analysis, spanning 195 countries, found that 99 nations have control rates below 20%, and only 28% of low-income countries reported consistent availability of all WHO-recommended hypertension drugs in pharmacies or primary care facilities.
India’s approach, the WHO concluded, offers a replicable, cost-effective model for other nations struggling with high rates of untreated hypertension.