22 May 2026: The ISH and our partners around the world celebrated World Hypertension Day (WHD) on 17 May, with campaign activity highlighting the importance of better
prevention, detection and treatment of high blood pressure.
With a new theme this year of ‘controlling hypertension together’, World Hypertension Day, which was initiated by the World Hypertension League (WHL), coincided with May Measurement Month, and Salt Awareness Week.
In a video message, ISH President George Stergiou called for collective efforts to reduce the burden of hypertension worldwide.
ISH Regional Advisory Groups (RAGs) initiated their own activities, with a webinar organised by the ISH South and Central Asia Regional Advisory Group (SACA RAG) and the Pakistan Hypertension League (PHL) raising public awareness of the dangers of high blood pressure.
A webinar organised by our Americas RAG on 29 May 2026 will feature presentations under the topic of ‘Rethinking hypertension in the Americas: beyond one-size-fits-all'.
The WHL shared a series of expert video messages highlighting the importance of blood pressure awareness, prevention, treatment, and control.
ISH-affiliated national societies globally mark World Hypertension Day
China
The Chinese Hypertension League (CHL) organised several activities for WHD, including online academic conferences, community screening clinics, health education and public science communication.
Community activities took place in locations ranging from cities to remote and medically underserved areas, with more than 50 hospitals taking part in screening and patient education activities.
One of the webinars organised by the CHL was on the topic of, ‘High-quality blood pressure management in Asia’, with speakers including ISH Secretary and President-Elect Kazu Kario exploring new models and future directions for hypertension management in Asian populations.
India
In India, a World Hypertension Day awareness camp was organised at Sardar Patel Medical College in Bikaner (Rajasthan), India, organised by ISH member Veer Bahadur Singh. Almost 250 healthcare professionals and medical students attended the camp, which highlighted the importance of regular blood pressure monitoring, early diagnosis, healthy dietary habits, physical activity and stress management.
The event also encouraged healthcare professionals to actively participate in community-based screening programmes and public education campaigns. Educational materials and awareness pamphlets were distributed to inform the public about risk factors, warning signs, preventive measures, and treatment adherence related to hypertension.
The awareness camp organised in India for WHD 2026
Japan
In Japan, the Japanese Society of Hypertension (JSH) held a ‘Hypertension Forum’ in Tokyo, with around 1,500 meeting participants discussing the latest advances in hypertension research and clinical hypertension management.
Presentations by young investigators highlighted both basic and clinical research, reflecting the depth and future potential of hypertension research in Japan.
The JSH also ran a public awareness campaign featuring a special illumination of the UNESCO World Heritage site Himeji Castle, lit in red on 17 May to symbolise blood pressure – and lit in green on 18 May to represent vascular health and wellness.
Himeji Castle lit up on 17 and 18 May for World Hypertension Day
Malaysia
Ahead of World Hypertension Day, Malaysian researchers highlighted Southeast Asia’s sodium reduction efforts at a symposium in Singapore on 28 April 2026.
The ‘ReThink Sodium: Science, Behavior, Guidance and Solutions for Public Health’ event brought together leading experts, policymakers, and researchers across Asia-Pacific to discuss emerging strategies for sodium reduction and cardiovascular health.
Chia Yook Chin (ISH Asia Pacific Regional Advisory Group member) participated as a panellist in the symposium’s concluding discussion on aligning policy, food environments, and public behaviour for sodium reduction in Southeast Asia. As the founding president of the Malaysian Society for World Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (MyWASSH) and a recognised hypertension specialist, she emphasised the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration, public education, and evidence-based policy to reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk in the region.
Chia Yook Chin (second from left) participating in the expert panel discussion at theReThink Sodium 2026 symposium in Singapore.
Sudan
For WHD 2026, the Sudanese Society of Hypertension organised hypertension screening at universities, markets and other public places across two regions of the country.
The activities were carried out in conjunction with several universities and were co- ordinated by ISH Council member Hind Beheiry. In a speech, she reported that the prevalence of high blood pressure in Sudan was almost 41%, exceeding the global average. She said rates are rising due to stress caused by armed conflict, low health awareness, unhealthy lifestyles, poor control, and shortage of healthcare services.
Poster advertising WHD 2026 activities organised in Sudan
In other examples of activity around the world:
Visit the ISH World Hypertension Day campaign page for 2026.
