With the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning that 32.2 million adults in Pakistan are living with high blood pressure, most of them undiagnosed or untreated, a nationwide creative awareness campaign has been launched in Karachi to engage young people in the fight against what experts now call a “silent national emergency”.
The Karachi School of Arts (KSA) on Monday signed an agreement with the Discovering Hypertension initiative of a local pharmaceutical firm to produce visual content, documentaries and short films on hypertension, a condition that the WHO says is now affecting nearly one in three Pakistani adults.
Experts said that according to the latest WHO report, only 44 per cent of hypertensive individuals in Pakistan are diagnosed, just 35 per cent receive treatment and merely 11 per cent have their blood pressure under control, making uncontrolled hypertension the leading cause of heart attacks in young Pakistani males.
The MoU was signed at a ceremony at the KSA, where KSA Executive Director Imran Zuberi, and Discovering Hypertension officials and PharmEvo Head of Consumer Marketing Saiful Hassan exchanged documents. PharmEvo Commercial Director Abdul Samad was also present.
To mark the beginning of the collaboration, students underwent on-site blood pressure screening, while health educators briefed them on the risks of early hypertension and the consequences of ignoring high blood pressure at a young age.
“We want young people to understand that hypertension is no longer a disease of the old. Sedentary habits, junk food, energy drinks, tobacco and late-night gaming are pushing teenagers towards heart complications, kidney failure and even stroke,” Samad said, adding that 18 per cent of Pakistanis aged 15 and above already have high blood pressure.
He said Pakistan is facing a growing kidney disease crisis linked to uncontrolled blood pressure, with over 1.5 million dialysis sessions required every year. “If teenagers and young adults don’t change their lifestyle now, we will soon have a generation battling organ failure before the age of 40.”
Zuberi said the KSA has encouraged students to use storytelling, cinematography and creativity to communicate health messages in a language that resonates with their own generation. “If art students speak, the message will reach homes faster than any conventional public service announcement.”
Hassan said that the first phase includes a creative contest among 500 students, with cash awards for the top three awareness films. The campaign, he said, is not just about messaging but about turning young people into ambassadors of healthy living within their families and communities.
Under Discovering Hypertension, one million Pakistanis will be screened across 500 public locations, while 100 clinics will provide free guidance and treatment support for those diagnosed.
Health experts say involving art and media students in a medical awareness drive marks a shift in strategy: from clinical advice to relatable narration.
