Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, has issued a clarion call to Nigerians, urging them to embrace healthier lifestyles and dietary habits to stave off the rising tide of cardiovascular disease and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Addressing a gathering at a press conference in Abuja on the occasion of World Hypertension Day, Prof. Pate underscored the central message of the event: “Accurately Monitor Your Blood Pressure, Take Control, Prolong Your Life.”
Represented by Dr. Mike Akpan, Prof. Pate shed light on the alarming prevalence of hypertension, which afflicts over a billion individuals worldwide, constituting more than 30% of the global adult populace.
He pointed out that in low and middle-income nations, hypertension stands as a major driver of considerable morbidity and mortality, owing to escalating risk factors such as tobacco usage, sedentary lifestyles, poor dietary choices, and detrimental alcohol consumption patterns.
He stressed the key importance of public enlightenment, routine screenings, early detection, and appropriate therapeutic interventions in forestalling grave complications like cardiovascular disease, strokes, and chronic renal failure.
The Minister underscored governmental endeavours spanning years, encompassing strategic initiatives across diverse healthcare strata, to screen a minimum of 80% of eligible citizens and furnish standardised treatment to 80% of those diagnosed.
The Minister, alongside healthcare pundits, advocates for regular physical exertion, a minimum of 30 minutes daily, shunning tobacco and exposure to second-hand smoke, abstaining from alcohol consumption, and maintaining adequate hydration as cardinal measures to mitigate cardiovascular disease risk.
They further extol the virtues of a diet replete with fresh produce, whole grains, lean protein sources such as fish and poultry, legumes, and pulses.
Additional dietary counselling encompasses eschewing processed foods, curtailing daily salt intake to below 5 grammes, minimising dietary cholesterol intake, and steering clear of industrially manufactured trans fats. Vigilant monitoring of blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood glucose was also adviced.
Representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL), AstraZeneca, Population Services International, the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) Cardiovascular Research Unit, and the Nigerian Heart Foundation voiced solidarity with the Minister’s recommendations, pledging support to the Federal Ministry of Health in its crusade against hypertension and other NCDs in Nigeria.
Dr. Omotayo Akinyemi, WHO Representative in Nigeria, remarked, “The fight against hypertension requires a collaborative effort. By working together, we can raise awareness, improve diagnosis, and provide effective treatment to those affected.”