From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Hypertensive patients have been warned not to yield to the temptation or unprofessional advice of stopping their medication and subsequent follow-up clinic visits without advice from their doctor or their health care workers.
The patients were advised to consistently follow instructions of doctors handling their cases so they can collectively and effectively manage the ailment, and prolong their lives.
The patients were, however, reminded that cardiovascular ailment particularly hypertension is a deadly ailment with reference to a World Health Organization (WHO) which indicated that cardiovascular disease, predominantly hypertension was responsible for 11 per cent of all the Non-communicable Disease (NCD) deaths in 2019.
Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, addressed journalists on the occasion of World Hypertension Day, with the theme, “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer.”
Hypertension is one of the leading cardiovascular disease responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, with the low-and-middle-income countries responsible for nearly 80 per cent of the global cardiovascular disease burden.
Dr. Ehanire who spoke through the Director, Public Health, Federal Ministry of Health, Alex Okoh, maintained that the adoption of healthy lifestyle by individuals is an integral strategy that should be practiced by all.
He recommended physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes daily, stressing that physical activities relieve stress, keeps fit, controls body weight, and lowers heart disease and stroke risk.
He also warned against tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke, excessive alcohol consumption, and suggested the replacement of junk foods with healthy diet.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, in her message, said the commemoration was to draw global attention to combatting the low level of awareness of hypertension as well as the limited availability of calibrated devices for accurate blood pressure measurement.
She said that, often times, people with hypertension will not have any specific signs or symptoms directly attributed to the condition, hence the ailment was dubbed as the ‘silent killer’.
“However, symptoms are usually foreboding of damage on specific organs in the body including the heart, brain, eyes and kidneys resulting from poor control,” she said.
She maintained that hypertension is easy to diagnose and there are safe and cost-effective treatment including pharmacologic and behavior change interventions that could help in dealing with the ailment.
She said that WHO has prioritized decentralized management and care for NCDs including management of hypertension, using the WHO package of essential NCD interventions for primary healthcare.
“WHO has also provided a guide on the technical specification for automated blood pressure monitoring devices to ensure improved access to accurate, affordable blood pressure devices which is often a significant barrier to proper medical care in low-resource settings. We need to regularly check our blood pressure and incase it is raised, adhere to medications as prescribed by the health provider.
“We can fight hypertension and the responsibility starts with us as individuals, and as communities taking control of our health and well-being. We need to adopt healthy lifestyles such as reducing salt intake, increasing portions of fruits and vegetables consumption, increasing physical activity, and avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption.
She challenged African leaders to implement their commitments through policies and programs that address the root causes of hypertension, promote healthy environments, and improve access to healthcare services.
“This will require a significant investment in healthcare infrastructure, training of healthcare workers, and increasing access to affordable medications. Early detection through routine screening at all health service delivery levels is important, and calibrated and validated blood pressure measuring devices should be available in all health facilities.
“In addition to that, quality assured medicines should be available for management of hypertension particularly at the primary level, as well as a robust mechanism to collect data to monitor outcomes from treatment and care,” she suggested.