Hypertension in Australia
Raised blood pressure (hypertension) is the leading preventable cause of death in Australia, contributing to over 25,000 deaths annually mainly due to stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and dementia.
Currently, in Australia high blood pressure is underdiagnosed 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. Unfortunately, Australia’s blood pressure control rates lag behind other high-income countries like Canada (68%).
The National Hypertension Taskforce
To address this national health problem, the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance (ACvA) and Hypertension Australia joined forces and established the National Hypertension Taskforce.
The National Hypertension Taskforce is taking a whole of eco-system approach to reducing the burden of high blood pressure in Australia. It is putting patients at the centre and bringing together primary care, the research community, nurses, general practitioners, specialists, pharmacists, peak bodies and governments. It’s initiating a national conversation and enabling everyone to bring their expertise to the table to make concrete recommendations and practical actions for change.
The Taskforce is informed by local 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.
The National Hypertension Taskforce is Co-Chaired by Professor Alta Schutte and Professor Markus Schlaich.
The Taskforce’s vision is to increase Australia’s blood pressure control rates from 32% to 70% by 2030
Host organisations
Australian Cardiovascular Alliance
Not-for-profit organisation working to bring the cardiovascular and stroke research sector together in a whole of pipeline approach, to collaboratively develop solutions to the most pressing areas of need to make a measurable difference to cardiovascular patient outcomes.
Hypertension Australia
We strive for excellence in four core areas:
• Research: knowledge generation through investigation, discovery, innovation, and translation into practice;
• Education: knowledge dissemination and translation of research and discovery;
• Implementation: supporting the turning of research and discovery into policy and practice;
• Advocacy: creating supportive environments through healthy public policy and lifestyles.
Supporting organisations
Steering committee
Provides strategic direction, monitors and establishes frameworks for development and evaluation of Taskforce initiatives.
Prof. Alta Schutte
Co-Chair, National Hypertension Taskforce; Company Secretary, ACvA
Prof. Markus Schlaich
Co-Chair, National Hypertension Taskforce; President, Hypertension Australia
Kerry Doyle
PSM OAM, Chief Executive Officer, ACvA
Dr. Andrew Goodman
The Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO
Prof. Garry Jennings
Chief Medical Advisor, National Heart Foundation of Australia
Prof. James Sharman
Professor of Medical Research and Deputy Director, Menzies Institute for Medical Research
Dr. Lisa Murphy
Chief Executive Officer, Stroke Foundation
Dr. Mark Nelson
Chair of General Practice, University of Tasmania
International advisory group
Provide strategic advice on implementation and policy approaches to achieving the goals of the Taskforce.
and Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Canada
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, USA
Prof. Norm Campbell
Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary, Canada
“Optimising the management of hypertension on a population scale is one of the most effective clinical interventions that can be done to reduce premature death and disability. In most, it is cost effective to cost saving with a return on investment to governments of 13-18$ for every dollar invested. Congratulations to the Australian National Hypertension Taskforce for its efforts to enhance the health of Australians.”
Prof. Sheldon Tobe
Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
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Dr. Janet Wright
MD, MACC; Director, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, USA
“Controlling hypertension across the globe calls for each of us to do our part and share our road rash and lessons learned. The Australian National Hypertension Taskforce provides a place for rapid learning to speed adoption and adaptation of “what works.”
Prof. Pedro Ordunez
Advisor for Chronic Diseases, Pan American Health Organization
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Prof. Andrew Moran
Columbia University; Director, Global Hypertension Control Resolve to Save Lives
”Hypertension is the leading risk factor for death globally, and in Australia. Hypertension control saves lives and only improves when countries purposely implement proven public health and medical measures. The Australian National Hypertension Taskforce is doing just that — making hypertension control a national priority and ensuring quality hypertension care for all who need it.”
Prof. Mike Rakotz
Vice President, Health Outcomes, American Medical Association
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Prof. Paul Muntner
Professor at the University of Alabama, Birmingham
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Taskforce members
Develop a long-term strategy to improve the BP control rates in Australia, in collaboration with the National Hypertension Taskforce Steering Committee:
Dr Sharon James
Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association
Professor Clara Chow
Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand
Professor Stephen Nicholls
Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand
Mr Andrew Goodman
The Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO
Associate Professor Ruth Webster
Department of Health, Commonwealth Government
Professor Jun Yang
Endocrine Society of Australia
Professor James Sharman
High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia
Professor Markus Schlaich
Hypertension Australia
Professor Jonathan Golledge
James Cook University
Ms Breonny Robson
Kidney Health Australia
Ms Audrey Lee
Cardiac and Vascular Health Clinical Academic Group Consumer and Community Involvement Panel
Ms Belinda Bennett
Cardiac and Vascular Health Clinical Academic Group Consumer and Community Involvement Panel
Ms Natalie Raffoul
National Heart Foundation of Australia
Professor Garry Jennings
National Heart Foundation of Australia
Associate Professor Charlotte Hespe
Notre Dame University
Mr Chris Campbell
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
Ms Andrea Sanders
Stroke Foundation
Dr Lisa Murphy
Stroke Foundation
Professor Geoff Cloud
Stroke Society of Australasia
Professor Alta Schutte
The George Institute for Global Health
Professor Anthony Rodgers
The George Institute for Global Health
Ms Jessica Sesto
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia
Professor Nigel Stocks
University of Adelaide
Professor Tim Usherwood
University of Sydney
Professor Mark Nelson
University of Tasmania
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 BP control for all Australians.
This group is dedicated to developing brief, user-friendly, easy to access guidance on relevant aspects critical for adequate BP management such as accurate BP measurement (in office and out-of-office), simplified medication treatment algorithm tools, preferred use of single pill combination therapy, and others with reference to existing Health Pathways where feasible.
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
This group is key for ensuring positive care outcomes and patient self-management through information, engagement, empowerment, partnering and ongoing support. Elements such as improving health literacy, activities to improve how people already diagnosed with hypertension can be ‘activated’ to improve their own health, and others should be addressed.
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
This group is dedicated to raising awareness on the importance of BP for cardiovascular health in general, its accurate measurement and management, among the community (consumers: “Know your numbers”), healthcare providers, allied health, pharmacists, government, and any other stakeholders.
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
This group is dedicated to establishing a national BP surveillance system in primary care based on currently available infrastructure to optimally use data for patient monitoring and evaluation. Setup processes to ensure integration of standardised BP data across the health sector, ensuring healthcare providers having access to electronic health records, establish BP management based on datasets rather than individual data points to inform practice and team-based care, facilitate identification of high-risk patients.
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
This group is dedicated to improving systematic screening for raised BP for all patients visiting GP practices, also through team-based care. Opportunistic community-based screening initiatives such as those of the Stroke Foundation and May Measurement Month awareness campaigns.
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
To express your interest in being involved, please enquire here.