Date: 17 May 2025
Location: Midrand
Speaker: Patricia Chueni, Chief Research Officer, SayPro
[Opening – Greeting and Acknowledgement]
Good morning, everyone.
It is a privilege to join you today in Midrand for World Hypertension Day 2025 — a day that reminds us of the critical intersection between science, awareness, and action.
On behalf of SayPro, I extend my sincere gratitude to all our partners, researchers, healthcare workers, educators, and community champions who work each day to make health education more than just information — but a force for transformation.
This year’s theme, “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer,” is both timely and urgent. It speaks not only to clinical accuracy — but to the value of precision, evidence, and data-driven care.
[The Research Perspective on Hypertension]
As the Chief Research Officer at SayPro, I approach hypertension from a data-driven lens. And the data is clear:
Hypertension remains one of the most underdiagnosed and undertreated conditions globally — with over 1.3 billion people affected, and a disproportionate burden falling on low- and middle-income countries.
In many African countries, over 50% of individuals with high blood pressure do not even know they have it. That’s not just a healthcare gap — it’s a research gap, an education gap, and a systems gap.
At SayPro, we’re working to close that gap.
[SayPro’s Commitment to Evidence-Based Impact]
Research is at the heart of everything we do at SayPro — from designing culturally relevant health education tools to piloting community interventions that are scalable and sustainable.
This year, we are proud to share new insights from our ongoing community health studies, which show that localized health messaging, combined with digital monitoring tools, significantly increases blood pressure awareness and screening participation.
That’s why today, on World Hypertension Day, SayPro is officially launching our new Community Blood Pressure Data Dashboard — a platform that allows communities and partners to track screening trends, identify high-risk zones, and target interventions more effectively.
This is research not for the sake of publishing, but for the sake of saving lives.
[The Role of Collaborative Research]
No research stands alone. We collaborate with universities, ministries of health, non-profits, and grassroots organizations to ensure that the evidence we collect is shared, peer-reviewed, and actionable.
We’re not just building knowledge — we’re building solutions. And we are committed to open data practices that help governments and communities alike make informed public health decisions.
[Call to Action – Let’s Measure and Learn Together]
So, what does this mean for all of us here today?
- If you are a healthcare provider, make every blood pressure reading part of a larger story — a data point in the fight against preventable death.
- If you are a policymaker, let evidence guide your priorities — and invest in research that’s rooted in your people’s realities.
- If you are a researcher like me, commit not only to discovery — but to impact.
Let us measure not only blood pressure, but the progress we make together — in awareness, in access, in action.
[Closing – Knowledge in Action]
At SayPro, we believe that knowledge is power — but only when it’s shared, understood, and applied.
This World Hypertension Day, let us remember that data saves lives. Research saves lives. And together, informed by science and guided by purpose, we save lives.
Thank you for your dedication, your partnership, and your belief in evidence-based change.
Happy World Hypertension Day 2025.
Let’s measure wisely, act decisively, and live longer — together.
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