BURDEN IN THE SOUTH-EAST ASIA
REGION
● High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for
death claiming 1.5 million lives each year in the
Region.
● One in three adults in the Region has high blood
pressure.
● Males have a slightly higher prevalence of high
blood pressure than females in almost all
countries of the Region.
● In the 10 countries from which data were
available, the prevalence of high blood pressure
ranged from 19% in Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea to 42% in Myanmar.
● Prevalence of hypertension is increasing in many
countries in the Region. In India, raised blood
pressure increased from 5% in the 1960s to
nearly 12% in 1990s, to more than 30% in
2008. In Indonesia, the percentage of adult
population with raised blood pressure increased
from 8% in 1995 to 32% in 2008. In Myanmar,
the Ministry of Health reported an increase in
high blood pressure prevalence, from 18% to
31% in males, and from 16% to 29% in females
during 2004–2009.
● Ageing population, rapid urbanization and
transition from agrarian life to a wage-earning,
modern city life are reported as major
contributors to increased blood pressure in urban
areas.