Pate calls for proactive measures to tackle stroke

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has called for heightened awareness and proactive measures to combat the high incidence of stroke in Nigeria.

The Minister made this call at a ministerial press briefing to commemorate World Stroke Day with the theme, “Together we are #GreaterThan Stroke,” held on 30th October 2023, in Abuja.

Emphasising the power of collective action in stroke prevention, he said that stroke is a cardiovascular disease that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is reduced or blocked, depriving brain tissue of essential oxygen and nutrients.

“Symptoms can range from paralysis or numbness on one side of the body, confusion, difficulty speaking or swallowing, impaired coordination, to severe headaches. Immediate medical attention is vital in the event of a stroke.”

He adduced that the high incidence of stroke in Nigeria is driven by prevalent risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, poor dietary choices, alcohol use, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle. Hypertension alone contributes to up to 90% of all stroke cases.

According to him, “recognizing the vital role of Primary Health Care in disease prevention and early detection, we launched the National Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI) in August 2019. This initiative focuses on strengthening PHC Centres to prevent and manage hypertension.”

The initiative has made significant progress with its simplified hypertension treatment protocol implemented in numerous PHC Centres across the country.”

To further support heart emergencies, the Nigerian Heart Foundation has procured Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for deployment in high-population areas such as airports. AEDs are portable life-saving medical devices used to revive sudden cardiac arrest victims, he added.

Pate further stated that the World Stroke Organization reports that stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting over 12 million people each year.

“However, up to 90% of strokes are preventable. The #GreaterThan campaign aims to empower individuals to understand and address stroke risks.”

He announced that strategic policy documents aimed at preventing cardiovascular diseases have been developed- including a National Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Policy, a Multi-Sectoral Action Plan on NCDs and National Guidelines for prevention, control and management of hypertension, noting that the Ministry has also developed guidelines for other NCDs- diabetes, and sickle cell disease, and currently implementing the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 and Regulations 2019.

The Minister, therefore, enjoined health workers to share key messages on stroke prevention and take action that will help individuals understand and address these risks.

Earlier, the Director of the Public Health Department, Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, stated that Nigeria bears a significant burden of stroke, noting that current data indicates crude stroke prevalence rates as high as 1331 cases.

He further revealed from Hospital-based data that stroke is the most common cause of adult neurological admissions in many parts of the country.

“Alarmingly, up to 40% of patients admitted for acute strokes in Nigeria do not survive beyond 30 days. Many survivors are left with varying degrees of disability and face substantial lifetime costs due to rehabilitation and social reintegration.”

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