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Onyebuchi Chukwu, health minister, promises intense advocacy and sensitisation activities on hypertension as a critical approach of the Nigerian government

Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the non-communicable diseases that have claimed many lives of both old and young Nigerians. Studies have proved that the commonest cause of sudden death is heart disease which   hypertension constitutes the major cause. Unfortunately, not much attention has been given to the diagnosis and management of the disease. 

But recently, Onyebuchi Chukwu, minister of health, who was bothered about the havoc hypertension has caused to many lives, called for advocacy, intensive sensitisation and public awareness campaigns on hypertension prevention and control in Nigeria.

The minister explained that the economic toll as a result of cardiovascular disease is devastating, considering the billions of dollars lost due to health care costs and reduced productivity from the disabling and fatal outcome related to diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease and heart failure. He appealed to Nigerians to imbibe the wise practices of regular physical exercise, avoiding smoking, eating a healthy balanced diet including fruits, vegetables, low cholesterol foods and grains, as well as regular medical check-ups.

Chukwu promised that the ministry will intensify efforts to educate the public on a healthy lifestyle, through the integration of non-communicable disease control and prevention into primary health care services, as well as strengthen health care workers for effective prevention, early detection and prompt referral of diseases to avoid complications. He said that a day would be set aside every month to check the blood pressure of every Nigerian. Some organisations and individuals have also joined in the creation of awareness and in management of hypertension in the country.

 One of the organisations which has been doing a lot to manage and prevent hypertension among Nigerians is Diabetes & Hypertension Help Society, a non-governmental organisation, NGO. The aim of the organisation is to create awareness and   fight hypertension in order to promote better health life. It has also been conducting regular blood pressure checks and subsidising drugs for patients who cannot afford to pay for the required drugs. In achieving its goal, the organisation has been collaborating with other organisations and individuals.

In the past four years, the theme for the annual World Physiotherapy Day celebrated by members of Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy, NSP, was Movement for Health. The organisation has been using the yearly event to sentitise the people on the importance of physical exercise and the risk of getting heart-related diseases like diabetes, hypertension and obesity  due to lack of regular exercise. The World Health Organisation, WHO, has recommended that every adult should engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensive physical activity for five days in a week. But the activity has to be introduced carefully so that it would not be too much for what the heart can carry, especially among those that are unfit.

Udoka Chris Okafor, public relations officer, PRO, NSP, told Newswatch that the association realises the danger of living a sedentary life as a predisposing factor to becoming hypertensive  and has been doing everything possible to encourage people to regularly engage in  physical activities. He explained that people who do work that do not require them to move around for some time are at greater  risk of becoming hypertensive. He urged people to form the habit of checking their blood pressure constantly, especially those who are above 40 years because the blood vessel becomes stiffer as one is advancing in age, and if somebody discovers in time and adheres strictly to the prescription of the doctor, he could live a normal life without having complications. 

 Patience Chimah, a dietician based in Lagos, said that as a professional, they always advise people on the right foods to eat to avoid the risk of the high blood pressure. “If the people imbibe the culture of eating the right kind of food, the risk of getting hypertension would be reduced to the barest minimum,” she said.   Many dieticians have been in the vanguard of educating people on the right and quantity of food to eat at the right time.  “When somebody is hypertensive, a dietician would  advise on how  to reduce the intake of sodium, especially table salt,” she said, adding that the practice whereby people add salt to already cooked food is not advisable for a patient of hypertension.

Chimah want people, especially, those suffering from the ailment to consume more of the food that is rich in fibre and vitamins. Such foods are found in vegetables, fruits and in whole grains. Eating vegetables is very important because some of them have the potential of doing the same job with drugs. Fruits like apple, watermelon and cucumber are recommended for people who are suffering from hypertension.

 She frowned at the rate at which the culture of eating processed instead of natural food was gradually causing a lot of problem for many people. Chimah described sea food as unsafe. “I encourage people to consume sea foods and snail moderately because they contain excess fat and cholesterol”, she said.