8.67 million Lagosians living with hypertension — Lagos govt

Lagos State Government on Friday revealed that there are about 8.67 million residents of the state who are living with hypertension.

The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made this known at a press briefing and planned to flag off a state-wide public health campaign on hypertension and diabetes with the theme “Know Your Numbers and Control Your Numbers.”

Abayomi equally revealed that 3.48 million residents were living with obesity while another 1.73 million live with diabetes, saying that the state government would be providing free checks and tests for hypertension and diabetes for the residents from October 28 to November 3, 2024.

According to the commissioner, the state government targeted giving free screening to 800,000 residents of the state within the period, saying that the figure may even be more than that.

“We may even get more than 800,000 people who would have been tested at the end of the week,” he said.

Abayomi further disclosed that the campaign was the brainchild of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), saying it was meant to raise awareness and provide free screening for two leading non-communicable diseases, namely hypertension and diabetes, which he said are commonly known as “silent killers.”

The commissioner, noting that the nationwide screening is targeted at screening 10 million Nigerians for diseases, explained that the free checkup and test would be available in the 30 general hospitals and 300 primary healthcare centres in the state.

He maintained that it was important to do regular checkups as, according to him, the symptoms of hypertension and diabetes showed up when it became serious with dire consequences for the patient, that hypertension and diabetes not only killed but also caused damage to persons’ organs through stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, among others.

Speaking further, Prof. Abayomi enjoined Nigerians to get tested to know their numbers and embrace healthy lifestyles such as moderation in sugar, salt, and alcohol consumption, while warning against smoking.

Also speaking, Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, said the state government had done a lot in terms of free medical outreach to help people cope with their health challenges.

The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, in his opening remark, called on journalists to participate in the campaign due to the stress associated with their calling.

He equally urged residents to actively participate in the campaign and subscribe to the state health insurance for diagnosis and treatment of other ailments at an affordable cost.

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