During May, Hypertension Awareness Month, 11 hospitals will offer free hypertension screening with no appointment necessary.
Approximately 3.6 million Belgians, more than a third of adults, suffer from high blood pressure, and often, they are unaware of it. This includes 45% of men and 37% of women. The situation in Belgium is improving: the famous “rule of halves,” formulated in the 1970s—which suggested only half of hypertensive patients were diagnosed, half of those treated, and half of those controlled—is no longer applicable in Belgium. Current data shows a significant improvement in screening. However, the proportion of untreated or insufficiently controlled patients remains concerning, highlighting a persistent and significant unmet medical need.
Hypertension: a Silent Killer Still Underestimated
High blood pressure is often described as a “silent killer.” It generally progresses without apparent symptoms while significantly increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke, heart failure, or kidney failure. Without screening, it can progress for years undetected.
The “Rule of Halves” is No Longer Relevant in Belgium
Data from Belgian screening campaigns during May Measurement Month (2017–2023), published in the journal Blood Pressure (De Bacquer D. et al., 2025) [1], show encouraging progress. Today, only about 1 in 3 patients is unaware of their hypertension, compared to 1 in 2 a few decades ago. This improvement demonstrates that awareness and screening campaigns have a real impact.
However, challenges remain: 25% of hypertensive patients are not treated, and 42% have blood pressure that is insufficiently controlled. In other words, while diagnosis is improving, management and blood pressure control remain major public health challenges.
A Concerning Trend: Hypertension Also Affects the Young
Long considered an adult disease, hypertension is now increasingly affecting children and adolescents. Current lifestyles—characterized by sedentary behavior, unbalanced diets, chronic stress, and increased consumption of substances such as salt, alcohol, or tobacco—contribute to the earlier onset of hypertension.
Hypertension remains a silent disease: in Belgium, a significant proportion of patients still don’t know they have it. What is particularly worrying today is its increasingly early onset. In clinical practice, we are seeing an increase in risk factors among young people, notably sedentary lifestyles, unbalanced diets, and overweight. Screening is therefore essential, as measuring blood pressure is a simple act that can prevent serious complications like heart attack or stroke. The message is clear: have your blood pressure checked regularly, even without symptoms.
Professor van de Borne, cardiologist at Erasme Hospital in Brussels
A recent study published in The Lancet [2] (a meta-analysis of 96 studies conducted in 21 countries, including over 440,000 children) reveals that the prevalence of hypertension in those under 19 has nearly doubled in twenty years, rising from 3.2% in 2000 to over 6.2% in 2020. This represents approximately 114 million children and adolescents worldwide. Nearly 19% of children with obesity suffer from hypertension, compared to less than 3% of children with a normal weight.
Faced with this reality, it is essential to remember that prevention relies on simple measures: adopting a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, limiting salt and alcohol consumption, and regularly monitoring blood pressure. Awareness campaigns must now target the entire population, including young adults, to break the misconception that hypertension only affects the elderly. Early screening is a major lever for reducing the impact of this pathology on public health.
Action 2026: Continuing Screening to Better Understand the Belgian Reality
Throughout May, 11 Belgian hospitals are participating in a national free hypertension screening campaign as part of May Measurement Month (MMM):
- 6 may at Azorg Aalst
- 7 may at UZ Gent
- 12 may at CHR Hutois
- 18 may at UZ Brussel
- 19 may at CHU Helora Mons
- 20 may at de Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc Bruxelles
- 21 may at UZ Leuven
- 22 may at CHU Brugmann (site Paul Brien)
- 26 may at CHU de Liège
- 27 may at GHdC Charleroi
- 28 may at Erasme Hospital Brussels
The 2026 campaign is driven by a clear goal: to continue screening Belgians to obtain an even more precise view of the issue, identify those at risk, and improve cardiovascular prevention. Screening remains a simple, fast, and painless gesture, yet it is potentially life-saving.
Come have your blood pressure measured, and learn more!
Prof. Dr. Tine De Backer, President of the Belgian Hypertension Commitee and Cardiologist at UZ Gent
About the Belgian Hypertension Committee (BHC)
The Belgian Hypertension Committee is dedicated to the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases and is a member of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH). The ISH has identified that awareness is a key challenge in the fight against hypertension and therefore established the May Measurement Month (MMM) initiative to increase awareness of issues related to high blood pressure and the importance of having it checked. Servier will once again partner with the ISH and the BHC to raise awareness and motivate Belgians to have their blood pressure checked in 2026.
About Servier
Servier is a French pharmaceutical laboratory present worldwide, conducting research for over 40 years. Servier has a portfolio of antihypertensive medications that help 15 million patients control their disease every day around the world. Servier strives to design innovative services and products to meet the needs of hypertensive patients. Through this campaign, Servier aims to raise awareness of hypertension and improve patient well-being.
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