Hypertension in Australia
High blood pressure (hypertension) is the leading risk factor for death in Australia and the world, leading to 10.8 million deaths globally each year. Currently, in Australia high blood pressure is under diagnosed and poorly managed. One in 3 adults in Australia has hypertension, but only half of these people know they have it. Of those, only 32% have it controlled to target levels with medication or lifestyle.
Raised blood pressure in Australia is responsible for 43% of coronary heart disease, 41% of stroke, 38% of chronic kidney disease and 32% of atrial fibrillation. Unfortunately, Australia’s blood pressure control rates lag behind countries like Germany, South Korea, Canada and the US (Schutte 2022).
The National Hypertension Taskforce
To address this national health problem, the ACvA and Hypertension Australia have joined forces and established the National Hypertension Taskforce with a vision to more than double Australia’s blood pressure control rates from 32% to 70% by 2030.
The National Hypertension Taskforce is cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary. It is the result of multiple stakeholders coming together to focus on a single goal. The Taskforce has members representing consumers with lived experience, primary care doctors, specialist clinicians, allied health, pharmacists, nurses, researchers, peak bodies and professional societies.
The Taskforce is informed by domestic and international consultation with experts which took place as part of the ACvA’s Hypertension Clinical Theme Initiative which brings the cardiovascular and stroke sector’s together to strategically address the biggest unmet needs in cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Taskforce Launch
The National Hypertension Taskforce was officially launched by the Honourable Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care on the 8th December 2022.
You can read the complete transcript HERE.
Taskforce Priorities and Working Groups
The Taskforce has identified five key priority areas using the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Process that will be critical on the path to achieving better blood pressure (BP) control for all Australians. To address these priority areas, working groups were established through an open Expressions of Interest.
The five new working groups, Co-Leads and members are below.
1. Developing up-to-date, simple BP management tools for healthcare providers.
This group focuses on crafting user-friendly, up-to-date BP management tools for healthcare providers.
Michael Stowasser (Co-Lead)
Charlotte Hespe (Co-Lead)
Justine Chan
Niamh Chapman
Sonali Gnanenthiran
Angela Makris
Mark Nelson
Tu Nguyen
Anthony Rodgers
Ania Samarawickrama
Markus Schlaich
Martin Schultz
Alta Schutte
Renuka Shanmugalingam
James Sharman
Nelson Wang
2. Increasing patient activation and engagement.
Engaging patients in their health is vital, working towards activating patients to improve their well-being.
Liz Halcomb (Co-Lead)
Niamh Chapman (Co-Lead)
Kim Beesley
Belinda Bennett
Justine Chan
Andrew Goodman
Natasha Jovanoska
Audrey Lee
Lisa Murphy
Edel O’Hagan
Gayleen Stephens
Ritu Trivedi
Mingjuan Zeng
3. Raising and maintaining awareness at all levels.
Increasing awareness about BP’s significance is essential. This group is dedicated to raising and maintaining awareness at all levels.
Lisa Murphy (Co-Lead)
Quynh Nhu Dinh (Co-Lead)
Wally Ahmar
Kim Beesley
Belinda Bennett
Revathy Carnagarin
Victoria Cheng
Rachel Climie
Mario Fernando
Liz Halcomb
Audrey Lee
Joanne O’Donnell
Ruth Peters
Dean Picone
Andrea Sanders
Alta Schutte
4. Establishing a systems and data-based approach to BP management.
This group focuses on establishing processes to ensure integration of BP data across the health sector to support monitoring and informing clinical practice for optimal care.
James Sharman (Co-Lead)
Nelson Wang (Co-Lead)
Audrey Adji
Amirul Islam
Shariful Islam
Garry Jennings
Shiva Mishra
Ania Samarawickrama
Markus Schlaich
Xia Wang
Yutang Wang
Natalie Ward
Luna Xu
5. Improving detection (screening) of people with elevated BP to identify those at risk.
This group will be dedicated to identifying individuals at risk using a combination of community-based screening initiatives and opportunistic screening strategies.
Jun Yang (Co-Lead)
Martin Schultz (Co-Lead)
Revathy Carnagarin
Sonali Gnanenthiran
Amirul Islam
Natasha Jovanoska
Angela Makris
Shiva Mishra
Om Narayan
Doan Ngo
Tu Nguyen
Dean Picone
Andrea Sanders
Gianni Sesa-Ashton
Isabella Tan
Ritu Trivedi
Project Contact
Dr Catherine Shang | catherine.shang@ozheart.org
Articles and Publications
National Hypertension Taskforce Launch Press Release
ACvA and Hypertension Australia
December 2022
View Article