2026 World Pulmonary Hypertension Day
Each year on May 5, World Pulmonary Hypertension Day brings the global pulmonary hypertension community together to raise awareness and advocate for earlier diagnosis, better treatments and improved care.
Observed annually on May 5, World Pulmonary Hypertension Day is a global effort to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension, a serious and often misdiagnosed condition that affects the lungs and heart. Led by PHA Europe, the global campaign brings together PH organizations and advocates to coordinate awareness and education efforts worldwide.
The Pulmonary Hypertension Association joins this year’s campaign, “Hope in Every Trial,” to highlight the importance of clinical trials and the role they play in advancing care for people living with pulmonary hypertension. PH is a complex progressive condition that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. While treatments have improved, there is still much to learn about the condition and how to expand options for people living with PH. Clinical trials play an important role in that progress by helping researchers better understand PH, evaluate potential therapies and improve care over time. They also give patients an opportunity to contribute to future advances that may benefit others in the PH community. Raising awareness about clinical trials, addressing misconceptions and expanding access are all essential to moving PH research and care forward.
As part of this year’s World PH Day observance, PHA will share information and resources about clinical trials, including why they matter, what participation can involve, how patients and families can learn more about available opportunities and how to participate. The campaign also features stories from patients who have participated in clinical trials and encourages others to advocate for broader access to trials in their countries. Their experiences help illustrate why research matters, why access to clinical trials remains a priority, and how participation can contribute to progress in PH care.
Join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky to celebrate World PH Day. Don’t forget to include #WorldPHDay2026 and tag PHA in your posts. Use the graphics provided below and those in the World PH Day Toolkit, to change social media profile images and cover photos.
History
Organizers first observed World PH Day in 2012 in Madrid, Spain. The Asociación Nacional de Hipertensión Pulmonar, Spain’s national PH association, launched the global awareness day with support from 22 patient associations, 10 rare and affiliated disease organizations and eight scientific societies. They selected May 5 to mark the anniversary of Spain’s first recorded pediatric death from PH, which was linked to a toxic batch of rapeseed oil that caused thousands of PH cases in the early 1980s. Today, PHA Europe leads the World PH Day campaign and provides resources for individuals and organizations to raise global awareness of PH.
Pulmonary Hypertension Affects People of All Ages, Everywhere
PH is a general term for high blood pressure in the lungs caused by various underlying conditions. There are five different PH groups based on different causes.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension may arise without a known cause (idiopathic), be heritable, or develop alongside conditions such as congenital heart disease or liver disease. It can also be triggered by drug use, including diet pills or methamphetamines, or linked to connective tissue diseases like lupus or scleroderma.
In the developing world, the most common cause of PAH is schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that affects millions. An estimated 20 million people, mostly in Africa and Asia, develop a severe form of PH when the parasite’s eggs block the pulmonary arteries.
Citation: Papamatheakis DG, Mocumbi AO, Kim NH, Mandel J. Schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary hypertension. Pulm Circ. 2014;4(4):596–611. doi:10.1086/678507
To post about this on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or LinkedIn, visit the World PH Day Toolkit.
In economically developed countries, the most common cause of PH stems from left heart disease, which affects more than 26 million people worldwide. Conditions such as valvular disease or systolic or diastolic dysfunction can back up blood flow from the lungs, increasing pressure in the pulmonary arteries.
Citation: Savarese G, Lund LH. Global Public Health Burden of Heart Failure. Card Fail Rev. 2017;3(1):7–11. doi:10.15420/cfr.2016:25:2
To post about this on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or LinkedIn, visit the World PH Day Toolkit.
Lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnea and prolonged exposure to high altitudes can scar lung tissue and lead to PH. More than 140 million people worldwide live 10,000 feet or more above sea level, an elevation linked to chronic lung stress.
Citation: Mirrakhimov AE, Strohl KP. High-altitude Pulmonary Hypertension: an Update on Disease Pathogenesis and Management. Open Cardiovasc Med J. 2016;10:19–27. Published 2016 Feb 8. doi:10.2174/1874192401610010019
To post about this on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or LinkedIn, visit the World PH Day Toolkit.
To post about this on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or LinkedIn, visit the World PH Day Toolkit.
To post about this on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or LinkedIn, visit the World PH Day Toolkit.
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is a rare but progressive form of PH caused by blood clots in the lungs. Up to 4% of people who have had a pulmonary embolism go on to develop CTEPH.
Citation: McNeil K, Dunning J. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Heart. 2007;93(9):1152–1158. doi:10.1136/hrt.2004.053603
To post about this on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or LinkedIn, visit the World PH Day Toolkit.
PH can develop as a secondary condition to other diseases, including blood disorders, systemic diseases affecting the lungs and metabolic conditions. Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that affects various organs and can lead to PH when increased pressure in the lungs causes weakening and ultimately failure of the right side of the heart.
Citation: Diaz-Guzman E, Farver C, Parambil J, Culver DA. Pulmonary hypertension caused by sarcoidosis. Clin Chest Med. 2008;29(3):549–x. doi:10.1016/j.ccm.2008.03.010
To post about this on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or LinkedIn, visit the World PH Day Toolkit.
