Only 12.4 per cent of Nigerians living with hypertension have their blood pressure under control, the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL) has disclosed, warning that awareness campaigns alone will not reduce deaths unless patients can afford continuous treatment.
LISDEL, through its Advocacy Partnership for Hypertension Financing and Patient Voice (APH-FiP), raised the alarm in a statement issued to mark World Heart Day, urging the Federal Government, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and National Assembly to make hypertension care affordable and sustainably funded.
The statement, signed by LISDEL Programme Director, Damilola Ademuyiwa, and made available to journalists in Abuja, said a nationwide survey put adult hypertension prevalence at 38.1 per cent, while cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for an estimated 29 per cent of deaths in Nigeria.
It further warned that the number of Nigerians living with hypertension could rise from 20.8 million in 2010 to 39.1 million by 2030.
According to the organisation, hypertension is increasingly affecting younger Nigerians, with a prevalence of 6.8 per cent recorded among adults below 30 years.
LISDEL attributed the poor control of the condition partly to the high cost of treatment, noting that many Nigerians pay out-of-pocket for blood pressure checks and medicines and are forced to interrupt treatment when they run out of money.
It also identified low health insurance coverage, particularly among informal sector workers, as a major challenge.
“Knowing your numbers is the first step, not the destination. A free blood pressure check today means little if the patient cannot afford medicines next month,” the organisation said.
LISDEL urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to make hypertension screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up routine at primary healthcare centres, backed by functional equipment, trained health workers and steady supplies of essential medicines.
It also called on the Federal Ministry of Finance to provide predictable funding for non-communicable diseases and ensure timely release and effective utilisation of approved allocations.
The organisation urged the NHIA and state health insurance agencies to include hypertension consultations, essential diagnostic services and medicines in their benefit packages, while expanding enrolment among informal sector workers and vulnerable groups.
LISDEL further called on the National Assembly to strengthen oversight of health budget releases and support proposed amendments to increase the Basic Health Care Provision Fund from one to two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
It also advocated an amendment to the Customs and Excise framework on sugar-sweetened beverages, with part of the revenue earmarked for non-communicable disease interventions.
The organisation urged the Presidency to make cardiovascular health a national development priority and give timely assent to health-financing reforms after completing the legislative process.
LISDEL, however, said hypertension could be effectively controlled when patients have access to appropriate and sustained treatment.
It cited the Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria programme, which implemented the World Health Organisation’s HEARTS package across 60 primary healthcare facilities and increased blood pressure control from 22 per cent in 2020 to 56 per cent in 2023.
Globally, LISDEL said cardiovascular disease kills more than 20 million people annually, with about 80 per cent of the deaths linked to risks that can be prevented or managed.
The organisation said the World Health Organisation estimated that 1.4 billion people were living with hypertension in 2024, but only slightly more than one in five had their blood pressure under control.
LISDEL urged Nigerians to check their blood pressure regularly, adhere to prescribed treatment, reduce salt and seasoning-cube consumption, stay physically active and enrol in health insurance schemes.
The organisation said its public awareness campaign on heart health, the cost of care and health insurance would continue through the cardiovascular disease awareness month, ending on World Stroke Day, October 29.
