Cardiovascular disease 🫀 is the world’s biggest killer, representing 32% of all global deaths.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. 🧵 1/11
#Hypertension is a “silent killer” as most people with hypertension are not aware of their diagnosis. 2/11
Treatment for hypertension involves multiple steps and medicines which make it difficult for patients to follow through and manage their treatment.
The price of medicines is also a major challenge in some places. 3/11
Combination medicines which would make treatment simpler for patients and healthcare providers alike exist and are recommended by @WHO.
So why are they not widely used?
4/11
In @MSF projects, more than three-quarters of patients need two or more #hypertension medicines.
The introduction of single-pill combinations into these projects, however, has been a challenge. 5/11
The🆕report "Under Pressure", explains why this is the case and identifies what @WHO, donors, member states, civil society, and pharmaceutical industry can do to help improve access to single-pill combinations.
msfaccess.org/hypertension-r…
6/11
@ResolveTSL @CHAI_health @worldheartfed
The report has the following major findings:
⚡️Generic hypertension medicine prices vary substantially across the low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) studied. 7/11
⚡️Despite being recommended by WHO, single-pill combination medicines are often unavailable or unaffordable to patients, even though estimates have shown that combination pills can cost less to produce. 8/11
⚡️ At current prices, many LMIC governments do not offer affordable and safe essential medical treatment to people living with hypertension. 9/11
“With less than 10% of people living with hypertension having their blood pressure controlled in low- and middle-income countries, we need to simplify how we deliver hypertension treatment.” 10/11
What needs to be done?
Governments need to prioritise single-pill combinations and promote transparency around the pricing of anti-hypertensive drugs.
How?
For more details, read the report “Under Pressure”
msfaccess.org/hypertension-r…
11/11
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