1.5 Billion People May Be Hypertensive By 2025 — NHF

The Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF) has disclosed that an estimated 1.54 billion people globally may be hypertensive by 2025.

NHF Director, Prof. Basden Onwubere, disclosed this yesterday during a two-day roundtable meeting on management of hypertension in Nigeria organised by the foundation in Lagos.

Onwubere, who spoke on the theme: “Strengthening Primary Health Care System Through Task Shifting and Basic Health Care Provision Fund,” said that more people die each year from the cardiovascular-related disease.

Specifically, he stressed the need to urgently guide healthcare personnel for the management of the ailment and create local guidelines for non-communicable diseases.

Besides, he advocated proper motivation of health workers and training on cardiovascular disease, among others.

Also, the President-elect of International Epidemiological Association, Dr. Akin Adebiyi, who spoke on “Country Mapping: Presentation of Results from Nigeria,” expressed concern over shortage of health professionals, noting that gaps in equitable access to healthcare must be bridged.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, Prof. Akin Osibogun, who spoke on “Task-Shifting Intervention: An Effective Strategy to Control,” represented by Dr. Abdulkabir Adegoke, said training of health members of staff is important.

He, however, expressed concern over concentration of health workers in urban centres to the detriment of rural dwellers, noting that others leave the shores of the country in search of greener pastures abroad.