Rising burden of heart disease

The World Heart Federation (WHF) launched its World Heart Day 2026 campaign by revealing symptoms of heart disease that can go unnoticed, until it is too late. It also says that cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming over 20 million lives every year—but many of these deaths are preventable. It says that CVD can hide in plain sight and warned that signs often go unnoticed and many other symptoms stay silent.

Arising from this standpoint, the WHF has launched the “Are You Heart Smart?” Quiz, which covers everything from common myths, hidden symptoms and risk factors people may not recognise. It is available on WHF website or app.

The theme of this year’s celebration, “Don’t miss a Beat,” which was carried over from last year’s campaign, focuses on recognising hidden or overlooked symptoms of heart disease. The goal of this year’s campaign is to educate the public by sharing information about heart attacks, stroke, high blood pressure and other cardiac conditions.

Experts highlight that a large percentage of premature heart disease deaths can be prevented through balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco and embarking on routine health screenings. They urge people not to ignore subtle or hidden warning signs of cardiovascular distress.

The most common risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet. Medical experts say that developing countries account for about 80 per cent of the fatalities and up to 80 per cent of premature cardiovascular disease deaths.

In the same vein, the Nigeria Heart Foundation said that the burden of heart disease in the country is rising, with hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease and changing lifestyle increasingly putting Nigerians at risk. Available statistics show that not less than 40 per cent of Nigerian adults are hypertensive and fewer than five per cent have their condition properly controlled.

However, high costs of treatment, shortage of specialists, weak infrastructure are worsening heart care in Nigeria. The Nigerian Cardiac Society (NCS), Nigeria has only about 400 cardiologists that attend to over 200 million people. The cost of treatment is reported to be as high as between N319,000 and N421,000 for routine outpatient care. Similarly, advanced care, including open heart surgery may cost up to N9 million to over N40 million.

As part of activities to mark the World Heart Day in Nigeria, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, called for stronger action to prevent cardiovascular disease, promote early detection as well as expand access to treatment. He also emphasised the importance of credible public information in saving lives. The minister stated that the occasion was a reminder of the human reality behind cardiovascular disease, saying that “behind every statistic on cardiovascular disease is a human being, a family and a story.”

Idris reiterated that the federal government, through its various health interventions, is strengthening access to healthcare and preventive services. Acknowledging the role of information in prevention of heart disease, the minister said that citizens need credible, accessible and understandable information about healthy living, warning signs, risk factors and when to seek medical attention.

We lament the rising cost of treatment of heart disease, dearth of specialists and weak infrastructure that worsen heart care and call on the government to address heart care challenges. It is sad that only 400 cardiologists serve over 220 million Nigerians. Unfortunately, there is no way only 10 catheterisation centres available in the country can serve the entire population. The situation has been aggravated by rising out-of-pocket costs. Let government increase annual health budget to at least 15 per cent agreed by African leaders in 2001 in Abuja. Appropriating only five per cent of our annual national budget to health is unacceptable.

There is urgent need for government’s intervention to ease the cost of treatment for cardiovascular disease patients. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) does not seem to be effective since inception some decades ago. Perhaps the government can revive the scheme and make it accessible to many Nigerians. The federal government should invest in heart care health.

This is the time to intensify the training of more cardiologists and other health personnel needed for optimum heart care health. The state governments should also be part of the efforts to revive cardiac care system across the country. The federal government should not do it alone. Private sector intervention will go a long way in reviving our heart care system as well as the entire health sector. The brain drain in the health sector must also be checked by enhancing the welfare of all medical workers, including cardiologists.

We call for public education on cardiovascular disease, highlighting causes, symptoms, preventive measures and how to access treatment. Community and religious leaders as well as non-governmental organisations should help in this exercise.