Opportunistic blood pressure screening of 13,406 adults in the Republic of the Congo identified a 34.9% prevalence of hypertension, with only 10.4% of hypertensive individuals having controlled BP.
Cross-Sectional (n=13,406)
Yes
Abstract The May Measurement Month (MMM) campaign was conducted in Republic of the Congo in 2023 to raise awareness of raised blood pressure (BP). Adults aged ≥18 years were recruited through convenience sampling at rural and urban areas of the Republic of the Congo. The screening sites were located in Brazzaville, Kintélé, Dolisie, Nkayi and Sibiti. Three seated BP readings were taken on each participant, and a questionnaire collected information on demographics, lifestyle factors, and comorbidities. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90mmHg or being on BP-lowering medication. Controlled BP was defined as being on BP-lowering medication with a BP 140/90mmHg. Multiple imputation was used to estimate missing BP readings. In total, 13,406 were screened, with a mean age of 41.8 years and 51.3% were female. Of all participants, 4,672 (34.9%) had hypertension, of whom 1,876 (40.2%) were aware, and 1,040 (22.3%) were on antihypertensive medication. Of those on antihypertensive medication, 485 (46.6%) had controlled BP, and of all participants with hypertension, 10.4% had controlled BP. The MMM campaign in Republic of the Congo identified substantial numbers of participants with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. We are advocating with public authorities to effectively support this initiative and improve access to BP screening for the whole population.
Kouala-Landa et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Hypertension (n=13,406). Blood pressure screening was evaluated on Hypertension prevalence. Opportunistic blood pressure screening of 13,406 adults in the Republic of the Congo identified a 34.9% prevalence of hypertension, with only 10.4% of hypertensive individuals having controlled BP.