National Hypertension Summit 2024

The inaugural National Hypertension Summit 2024 was held on November 26 in Sydney.

In 2022, the National Hypertension Taskforce set the ambitious goal to increase blood pressure control rates in Australia from 32% to 70% by 2030, a critical milestone in improving the health of our nation. This event was a unique opportunity to hear directly from the Taskforce about the progress towards this goal.

There was an incredible energy in the room and the Summit served as a powerful reminder of the critical role collaboration plays in addressing hypertension. Speakers from across the sector shared candid insights into both the challenges and the opportunities in improving blood pressure control.

We’re excited to share that after officially launching the National Hypertension Taskforce in 2022, the Honourable Mark Butler Minister for Health & Aged Care provided the following opening address at the Taskforce’s recent inaugural Hypertension Summit 2024.

After Minister Mark Butler’s opening address, Prof. Markus Schlaich and  Prof. Alta Schutte presented on the establishment of the Hypertension Taskforce and its Working Groups.

Following this, key representatives from the National Hypertension Taskforce’s Founding Partners the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance (ACvA) and Hypertension Australia, and Co-Founding Partners Stroke Foundation and the National Heart Foundation spoke about their strong partnership and commitment to the Taskforce and it’s goal. This included: 

  • Ms. Catherine Shang, Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives at Australian Cardiovascular Alliance (ACvA)
  • Prof. Markus Schlaich, President of Hypertension Australia
  • Dr. Lisa Murphy, Chief Executive Officer at Stroke Foundation
  • Mr. David Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer at Heart Foundation

Prof. Alta Schutte presented the Roadmap of the Taskforce: Progress and Updates, before chairing a panel discussion with the Founding and Co-Founding Partner representatives listed above.

Stay tuned for the session recording.

We were privileged to hear from three inspirational keynote speakers.

  • Prof. Michael Rakotz, Group Vice President of Improving Health Outcomes at the American Medical Association, shared valuable lessons from the U.S. journey to strengthen blood pressure control. He highlighted the importance of a coordinated national approach and expressed his optimism about the National Hypertension Taskforce.
  • Dr. Michael Wright, President of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, discussed Australia’s chronic disease burden, the role of general practice in blood pressure control, and the importance of keeping patients at the heart of care.
  • Prof. Charlotte Hespe AM, an academic and general practitioner, offered an honest and passionate perspective on competing priorities and the moving parts involved in running a practice and implementing blood pressure control.

Stay tuned for the session recording.

This session was chaired by Working Group 1 Co-Lead Prof. Charlotte Hespe AM on behalf of the working group and fellow Co-Lead Prof. Michael Stowasser. It inlcuded:

  • A Working Group 1 progress update and  by Prof. Charlotte Hespe AM.
  • Creating a one-page BP treatment tool for primary care. Progress update by Prof. Charlotte Hespe AM and Professor Markus Schlaich.
  • How acceptable is a one-page BP treatment tool for GPs? by Dr. Sonali Gnanenthiran and Dr. Isabella Tan
  • What are the current prescribing practices of GPs in Australia and how do they compare with best practice? by invited speaker Dr. Chris Gianacas.
  • Improving how blood pressure is measured in primary care (Automated Office Blood Pressure (AOBP) by Prof. James Sharman.
  • Speaker panel dicussion on what the Taskforce can do to improve, support and strengthen primary care.

Stay tuned for the session recording.

This session was chaired by Working Group 2 Co-Lead Dr. Niamh Chapman on behalf of the working group and fellow Co-Lead Prof. Liz Halcomb. It inlcuded:

  • A Working Group 2 progress update by Dr. Niamh Chapman.
  • Community engagement and team-based care: perspectives from regional and rural Australia by invited speaker Prof. Debra Jones.
  • How can we improve team-based care, and how could such a model improve patient engagement? by Dr. Catherine Stephen
  • How can we assist patients on understanding their blood pressure and measuring it better? Development of the BP Toolkit by Ms. Eleanor Clapham.
  • Panel discussion: Engaging with patients: perspectives from consumer advisors chaired by Dr. Niamh Chapman. Discussion panel of Mr. John Stevens, Ms. Belinda Bennet and Ms. Audrey Lee.

Stay tuned for the session recording.

 

This session was chaired by Working Group 3 Co-Leads Dr. Quynh Nhu Dinh and Dr. Lisa Murphy on behalf of the working group. It inlcuded:

  • A Working Group 3 progress update and discussion about future opportunities by Dr. Quynh Nhu Dinh and Dr. Lisa Murphy.

Stay tuned for the session recording.

This session was chaired by Working Group 4 Co-Leads Prof. James Sharman and Dr. Nelson Wang on behalf of the working group. It inlcuded:

  • A Working Group 4 progress update and discussion about future opportunities by Prof. James Sharman and Dr. Nelson Wang.
  • Using big data to monitor population-wide adherence to antihypertensive medications by invited speaker Dr. Lachlan Dalli.

Stay tuned for the session recording.

This session was chaired by Working Group 5 Co-Leads Prof. Jun Yang and Assoc Prof. Martin Schultz on behalf of the working group. It inlcuded:

  • A Working Group 5 progress update and discussion about future opportunities by Prof. Jun Yang and Assoc Prof. Martin Schultz.

Stay tuned for the session recording.

The final session shared recent updates and research related to the National Hypertension Taskforce’s goals. These included:

  • An update on the Australian Hypertension Guidelines by Prof. Garry Jennings and Dr. Dannii Dougherty.
  • The economic Impact of stroke when improving BP control from 32 to 70% by Dr. Lisa Murphy and Dr. Lachlan Dalli.
  • Current costs of hypertension for Australia, and potential savings by implementing single-pill combinations by Prof. Alta Schutte and Dr. Emily Atkins.
  • Meta-analysis on prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in Australia and the contribution of raised blood pressure to the burden of disease and deaths in Australia from 1990 to 2019 by Dr. Luna Xu (who also presented on behalf of Xia Wang).
  • A global strategy to scale-up potassium-enriched salt use by Dr. Katrina Kissock.

Stay tuned for the session recording.

The Summit was a truly impactful day, made possible by the contributions of many dedicated individuals. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the speakers, presenters, and panellists, as well as the organising committee and members and organisations of the National Hypertension Taskforce. We are also deeply grateful to the National Hypertension Summit sponsors, ACvA, Servier, and UNSW.

We would also like to acknowledge Nina Cullen, Communications Manager at ACvA for all her work on the Hypertension Summit communications and for putting the collage below together.

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