The awareness campaign on hypertension and diabetes

PENULTIMATE week, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, indicated that 350,000 residents of the state would benefit from  free screening for diabetes and hypertension as part of the Project 10 Million awareness campaign, an initiative of the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum. The commissioner spoke at a press conference during the launch of the programme in the state tagged “Project 10 Million—Know Your Number, Control Your Number in Ogun State”. According to the commissioner, the initiative is targeted at combating the prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension across the country. The commissioner noted that hypertension and diabetes are significant health challenges that contribute to approximately 27 percent of all annual deaths. She added that people between the ages of 30 and 70, estimated at 17 per cent, are at risk of dying of health challenges. Coker said the exercise would take place from October 28 to November 3,  with a special focus on underserved communities across the 234 wards in the state, to ensure that the vulnerable population has access to essential care.

She said: “Project 10 Million, which is endorsed by the Nigeria Governors Forum and supported by Health Commissioners from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will take place from October 28 to November 3, 2024. During this period, we aim to screen 10 million Nigerians for hypertension and diabetes, with a special focus on reaching underserved communities to ensure that vulnerable populations have equitable access to essential care. In Ogun State, we are proud to extend this initiative to all 236 wards across our 20 local government areas. Screening will be accessible at all primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities as well as in churches, mosques, parks, and markets throughout the state.”

This initiative by the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum is, without doubt, a laudable one. All too often, people die of different ailments not necessarily because there is no help but because they lack vital information about managing those ailments. It is, of course, true that a significant portion of the casualties of these ailments in Nigeria suffer untold pain and even death because of the prohibitive cost of drugs, a factor that governments at all levels must find concrete solutions to. Still, it is a fact that most of the people who suffer from these ailments are not even aware that they have them, in large part because they have either not been asked to do any screening or presented themselves for screening. If people are not aware that they suffer from certain elements, then not treating them at all, not to talk of not treating them the right way, is a logical corollary, however sad that is. In this connection, it is encouraging to see members of the Health Commissioners’ Forum trying to help by carrying out screening for diabetes and hypertension nationwide.

This is a welcome development, especially because of the excruciating economic realities across the country that tend to compound health challenges. Statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that Nigeria has the highest number of people living with diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa. It also says that most Nigerians living with diabetes experience hypertension and do not have optimal glycaemic control, leading to serious long-term complications. This is why the current screening programme will help, along with regular enlightenment campaigns. Diabetes and hypertension are deadly ailments that require expert care. The fact is well known that diabetes damages arteries and makes them targets for hardening (atherosclerosis), which can lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure predisposes to heart attack and kidney failure. Hypertension predisposes to many complications of diabetes, including diabetic eye disease and kidney disease. According to the International Diabetes Federation’s (IDF) estimates, nearly four million Nigerians have diabetes, with a prevalence of 4.6 percent in adults. Unfortunately, diabetes care is said to be absent at the primary care level in communities. Given that 54 percent of Nigerians are said to live in rural areas, this is a serious challenge.

It cannot be cheering news that Nigeria is  a major contributor to the increasing burden of hypertension in Africa, with the rate of awareness, treatment and control being extremely poor. Experts say that half of the adult population in Nigeria suffering from hypertension are not on treatment, and the country is witnessing more and more hypertension-related complications because patients are not able to buy their medications. Rather frighteningly, 30 percent of adults in Nigeria are said to be suffering from the disease.

We welcome the awareness campaign by the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum. It is a laudable and patriotic campaign with a potential not only to save lives but to ensure a healthier country.  We believe that only healthy citizens can be productive and make meaningful contributions to national development. The prevailing situation requires pragmatic and quick interventions, and this is certainly one of them. We hope that the forum will work closely with the Federal Ministry of Health and other critical organs, to make its work more potent and effective.

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