As Nigeria continues its quest to become one of the 20 leading economies by 2020, the growing incidence of Nigerians within the productive bracket coming down with hypertension, a silent disease that does not only reduce life expectancy but threatens the nation’s economic life, as the productive part of the population is at risk.
While this disease has assumed an epidemic dimension, there is an enormous financial burden associated with it, as treatment requires an investment over many years to ensure disease-free years among those affected.
As part of efforts to provide effective control strategies in order to prevent the high prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria, New Heights Pharma Ltd (NHP), official partner of Omron Healthcare in Nigeria, has tasked Nigerians to ensure they conduct regular blood pressure check with Blood Pressure Monitor in a bid to address people coming down with hypertension.
Speaking with BusinessDay recently, Ogheneochuko Omaruaye, managing director, NHP, revealed that a recent community-based study of rural and semi-urban population in Enugu put the prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria at 32.8 percent in urban areas and 12.4 percent in rural areas.
With the prevalence of high blood pressure high in developing countries including Nigeria, Omaruaye stated that this health challenge had attracted huge concern as youths in their early 30s were prone to it, a development that demanded urgent attention to promote public awareness of hypertension and encourage citizens to prevent and control this modern epidemic.
“We decided to add our voice to the movement for proper monitoring of blood pressure because trends of prevalence suggest that it has increased in economically developing countries in recent years, while it remained stable or decreased in developed countries. According to World Health Organisation report, one in three adults has hypertension.
“Prevention and control of hypertension have not received due attention in many developing countries, although it is one of the most modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This is why we have joined to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of high blood pressure, to provide information and encourage adults to check their blood pressure regularly with Omron blood pressure monitor,” Omaruaye said.
Omron healthcare has a rich heritage in the design and manufacture of medical equipment certified by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and registered by National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Research shows that urbanisation brings risks other than sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diet. City life has implications for levels of stress and loss of family cohesion as well as it cuts across gender and socio-economic status.
In preparation for the United Nations summit on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which held in New York, in September 2011, the Federal Government had inaugurated a Technical Working Group to come up with patriotic, articulate and cost-effective framework for the country.
While the minister of health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, who is the chairman of the committee, listed hypertension as one of the NCDs to be tackled, the committee is yet to make significant recommendations about tackling the menace of NCDs.
With the current situation, observers are questioning the true position of Nigeria’s policy on hypertension – whether diagnosis, treatment or prevention. It is no secret that many local hospitals, even at the tertiary level, are lacking in capacity to deal appropriately with diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.
Instances abound of suspected or confirmed hypertension patients who are unable to access essential care and treatment. For instance, lack of functionally equipped ambulance services has in no small measure put millions of Nigerians in potential danger as emergency rescue and early resuscitation for patients with severe complications of hypertension is a Herculean task.
Alexander Chiejina
