New Delhi Declaration on High Blood Pressure Adopted by Health Ministers of 11 SEARO Countries

The Health Ministers of 11 SEARO countries adopted the New Delhi Declaration on High Blood Pressure on 10 September 2013 at the 31st Meeting of Health Ministers. The Health Ministers of Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region participating in the Thirty-first Health Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, India, appreciated the efforts made by Member States and partners in the South-East Asia Region for prevention and control of high blood pressure.

It is important to note that hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is the leading risk factor for mortality worldwide, causing 9 million deaths each year. As per the World Health Organization, hypertension affects one out of three adults in the South-East Asia Region and that it increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney failure, contributing to premature death and disability.

As a result, there is a need of emphasising the importance and need for technology transfer as a means to empower developing countries and the important role of generic medicines in the realisation of the right to health. The factors which contribute primarily to hypertension include poverty, uneven distribution of wealth, lack of education, rapid urbanisation and other social and environment determinants of health.