This publication addresses the increasing importance of high blood pressure as a challenge to public health and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Hypertension is associated with the development of serious and potentially fatal complications, such as cardiovascular and renal diseases, thus causing considerable human suffering and enormous health care costs. There is a pressing need for action to control this problem. While primary prevention is critically important, prevention of complications through good management of established cases is equally essential. The publication reviews strategies for the prevention of hypertension in the Eastern Mediterranean populations and provides clinical practice guidelines for the management of high blood pressure with special emphasis on the role of primary health care.