Health practitioners proffer solutions to hypertension, cardiovascular diseases

By Adeola Badru

Health experts, scientists, researchers in the medical field and other global players,  have harped on the need to increase awareness of hypertension through advocating  integrated screening and management of ailment at every clinic.

This formed part of the 11-point recommendations of the stakeholders after intensive deliberations at a two-day conference at the weekend in Ibadan on Novel Strategies for Accelerating Hypertension Control in Africa, with the theme: “African Control of Hypertension Through Innovative Epidemiology and a vibrant Ecosystem (ACHIEVE).”

The conference was organised by the Centre for Genomics and Precision Medicine and African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), University of Ibadan Centre of Excellence in Non-Communicable Diseases in partnership with the World Hypertension League (WHL) and Resolve To Save Lifes (RTSL).

The stakeholders described Africa as the epicentre of hypertension and lamented that little progress had been made in detecting, treating and controlling hypertension in Africa for over 30 years.

They declared that hypertension was the number one cause of preventable, premature death globally and that 93 per cent of hypertension cases in Africa were uncontrolled with a prevalence of nearly 50 per cent in adults.

According to them, there are currently limited effective strategies and resources for screening and controlling hypertension in Africa.

“The available strategies which have been adopted from the hypertension treatment guidelines from high- income countries are challenging to implement because of the limited resources and lack of an implementation ecosystem that engages all stakeholders.”

“The goals of ACHIEVE are to increase the awareness of hypertension by 80%, treatment by 80% and control by 80% by the year 2030,” the stakeholders stated.

Other recommendations of the stakeholders are advocacy and policies on task-shifting and task-sharing to cushion the effects of the shortage of human power resources in relation to hypertension control.

Access to essential antihypertensive medicines should be improved upon by encouraging the local manufacturing of drugs under the control of the regulating agencies: NAFDAC, FDA, and other agencies in African countries, to reduce the issue of fake drugs in Africa.

Policy and regulations on the manufacturing of unhealthy diets by reducing the amount of salts, sugars and saturated fats in accordance with the required minimum for body metabolisms by placing higher taxation on their consumption and appropriate content labelling.

They also called on government in African countries to institute policies that would encourage physical activities by creating enabling environments “such as pedestrian walkways and recreational centres.

“African governments should support the implementation and expansion of the WHO HEARTS technical package and should incorporate the screening and treatment of hypertension into the Health Insurance Scheme.”

They further urged African governments to encourage the integration of mobile health into hypertension control by providing the telecommunication industry with the necessary support.

“Education on causes of hypertension, treatment, prevention, and medication adherence to be prioritized in all African countries across the life course.

“All African countries should leverage existing chronic care programmes, e.g. HIV management model to enhance detection, treatment and prevention of hypertension,” the stakeholders recommended.

The stakeholders conclusively implored African governments to make deliberate efforts to invest in hypertension research given its central role for the generation of reliable evidence for the implementation of strategies to the control of non-communicable diseases in Africa.

Earlier, the convener of the conference, Prof. Mayowa Owolabi, who doubles as the Regional Director, World Hypertension League (WHL), African region, said the conference was to draw attention of Africans and the whole world to the problem of hypertension.

Owolabi said the recommendations would help to accelerate the detection, treatment and control of hypertension on the continent.

According to him, more than 46 per cent of people older than 25 years are hypertensive, saying that “what is even more worrisome is that only seven per cent of these figures are controlled while 93 per cent are either unaware or aware but not on treatment or on treatment but not controlled.”

“Hypertension increases chances of having heart failure, sudden death and stroke, so much so that every minute, six Africans are developing a stroke, every minute one Nigerian is suffering a stroke.”

“The bottom line is that hypertension is a problem that can be addressed, diagnosed, treated and controlled.”

Also speaking at the event, Ghana Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said the recommendations of the stakeholders would be implemented by his country, while urging other African countries to to take it seriously “and see how we can utilise the recommendations to get rid of hypertension.”

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Olufunso Adebiyi, who was represented by Dr. Abiodun Adeoye, said the Ministry had instituted several strategic interventions to improve the early detection and effective management of hypertension.

According to the minister, the ministry has worked with relevant stakeholders to develop the national guidelines for prevention and management of hypertension in Nigeria with the protocols for the provision of standardised care “at all levels of the nation’s health system.”

”We have also developed the national task-shifting and task-sharing policy for the prevention and control of NCDs at primary health care(PHCs) level.”

In its goodwill message, Oyo State Government emphasised on public enlightenment and campaign through information education and counselling as a key to the issue of hypertension.

Speaking through the Permanent Secretary, State Ministry of Health, Dr Soji Adeyanju, the state government urged Africans to have attitudinal change on their health.

Adeyanju promised that the government would take action on all recommendations issued because “Makinde led government prioritise health care of the people of the state.”

According to him, Oyo state government believes that education, health, security and social economic progress of the society is key for advancement in the society.

“It is when we have educated people in sound health and secured environment that we will have economic development in any society,” he said.