Study Shows High Burden of Undiagnosed Hypertension

A recent nationally representative study reveals that a significant proportion of Kenyan adults are living with high blood pressure without knowing it. The survey, which covered nearly 4,500 participants aged 18–69, found that approximately 24.5% of Kenyans are hypertensive — but only 15.6% of them were aware of their condition.This means that a large majority of those with hypertension are undiagnosed, untreated, or not properly controlling their blood pressure.
The research, using WHO’s STEPS methodology, also highlighted major gaps in treatment and control. Among those who knew they had high blood pressure, just 26.9% were on medication, and of those, only 51.7% had achieved target blood pressure control. The study identified several factors associated with hypertension, including older age, higher body mass index (BMI), and harmful alcohol use. The low levels of awareness are particularly concerning among men, who were found to be less likely to know their hypertensive status compared to women.
Health experts are raising the alarm over the public health implications of these findings. With so many people unaware of their hypertension, the risk of serious cardiovascular complications — such as heart attacks and strokes — is likely to rise. The low diagnosis and treatment rates point to an urgent need for expanded screening, public education campaigns, and stronger health system responses. Some recommend integrating blood‐pressure checks into routine primary care and community outreach, especially targeting men and older adults. The Ministry of Health and development partners may need to scale up preventive programmes to address this silent but pervasive threat.