BBS Survey Flags Hypertension as Bangladesh’s Top Disease; Experts Urge Drug Policy Reform
Hypertension has emerged as the number one disease in Bangladesh, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) “Health and Morbidity Status Survey-2025” published on May 13. Experts say the prevalence of high blood pressure is increasing because the government’s decision to provide free medicines for all has not been fully implemented due to a lack of sustainable financing. In this context, Vice Chancellor (VC) of Bangladesh Medical University Professor Dr. F. M. Siddiqui stressed the importance of formulating a medicine policy for hypertension control.
While speaking at a seminar held on May 16, Saturday, at the lecture hall of the Super Specialized Hospital of Bangladesh Medical University on the occasion of World Hypertension Day, he said hypertension adversely affects several organs, including the heart, kidneys, brain, blood vessels, and eyes. “In other words, high blood pressure is extremely risky for these organs. Under these circumstances, it is essential to formulate a medicine policy to control hypertension,” he said.
The seminar, organized by the Department of Public Health and Informatics, discussed treatment, medicine supply, increased budget allocation, and multidimensional coordinated initiatives to prevent and control the “silent killer” hypertension.
Delivering the keynote speech, the BMU VC said, “Around 21 to 23 percent of people in Bangladesh are suffering from hypertension, but only 14 percent of them have it under control. Alongside the use of long-acting medicines, the country’s drug policy must be further improved.”
He added, “Hypertension negatively affects five organs — the heart, kidneys, brain, blood vessels, and eyes. The silent killer hypertension is a major cause of health risks, including heart disease and stroke. Today’s seminar will play a significant role in shaping healthcare policy for hypertension control.”
The event was chaired by BMU Pro-VC (Administration) Professor Dr. Md. Abul Kalam Azad. Special speakers included Additional Secretary of the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Momena Moni, Pro-VC (Research and Development) Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman Howlader, Treasurer Professor Dr. Nahreen Akhtar, among others. Deans of different faculties, department heads, teachers, researchers, and public health experts of the university were also present.
Additional Secretary Momena Moni said hypertension has created a major crisis for people and is no longer just an individual patient issue. “Currently, 28 percent of people aged between 30 and 79 years — around 25 million people — are suffering from high blood pressure. The disease is also spreading among young people. Many are dying, while adolescents are suffering from pre-hypertension. Unhealthy food habits, excessive salt intake, physical inactivity, mental stress, and tobacco use are increasing the risk of hypertension among the younger population. Hypertension has now become a threat to people’s dreams and future potential,” she said.
Professor Nahreen Akhtar said urbanization, smoking, air pollution, unhealthy eating habits, mental stress, and reduced physical activity are among the major causes of hypertension. “To overcome this situation, multidimensional and coordinated initiatives must be taken,” she added.
Joint Secretary of the Health Services Division Mamunur Rashid said, “According to the World Health Organization’s Global Report on Hypertension 2025, a large number of affected people are still unaware of their condition. Therefore, increasing public awareness and educating people is extremely important.”
Professor Zakir Hossain said nearly 33 percent of people aged between 30 and 79 in the country are affected by hypertension, while 44 percent of those affected remain undiagnosed. He also noted that only a limited portion of the national health budget is allocated to the non-communicable disease (NCD) sector, making it necessary to further strengthen preventive activities.
Mohammad Riyad Arefin, DGM of Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL), said medicine supply had remained suspended for some time due to the absence of a budget for NCD medicine procurement in the 2024–25 fiscal year, though supply has since resumed. Since raw materials need to be imported from abroad, advance demand forecasting helps ensure supply, he added.
Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury of the National Heart Foundation and Research Institute said rural people in 310 upazilas are being served through NCD corners. Extending the duration of medicine supply to patients is also being considered.
Managing Director of EDCL Mohammad A. Samad Mridha said the company supplies a significant portion of the government’s medicine demand. Despite the increase in dollar prices, EDCL reduced the prices of 48 medicines, which he described as a major challenge. He said a special syndicate responsible for medicine price hikes had been broken, and EDCL remains committed to supplying medicines to patients and the general public at affordable prices.
In his closing remarks, Professor Abul Kalam Azad said hypertension not only increases the risk of heart disease and stroke but also gradually damages the normal functioning of blood vessels, leading to various complications. He noted that research has shown uncontrolled hypertension can cause problems such as erectile dysfunction among men, which may serve as an early warning sign of future heart disease.
Professor Azad stressed the importance of regular blood pressure checks, healthy lifestyles, avoiding smoking, and timely treatment. “Reducing the price of medicines is essential for controlling hypertension, but it is equally important to urgently implement the use of medicines that are more effective in controlling high blood pressure,” he said.
The opening speech was delivered by Chairman of the Department of Public Health and Informatics and Dean of Preventive and Social Medicine Professor Dr. Md. Atikul Haque.
As part of the seminar, a book titled “Hypertension Prevention in Bangladesh: Emerging Challenges and Future Direction” was unveiled.
DBTech/BM/MI/OR
