WHO Urges Multi-faceted Approach to Tackle Hypertension

•Says 40% of adult population in Africa have high BP  

•Obaseki tasks residents to take advantage of state’s health initiatives to check hypertension

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said Africa requires a multi-faceted approach that involves individuals, communities, and governments working together to address the scourge of high blood pressure.

In a message from WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, on World Hypertension Day, she disclosed that about 40 per cent of adults aged 30-79 years were hypertensive and only a quarter of these take their medicines.

She urged countries to join the global effort to address hypertension and its related health consequences

” 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.

“Effective prevention and control of hypertension requires a multi-sectoral approach. This approach should involve collaboration between the health sector and other sectors, such as education finance, and agriculture, to address the social determinants of hypertension,” she said.

Moeti said interventions such as promoting healthy diets and increasing physical activity can be implemented in schools.

According to her, governments in Africa could lead the way by implementing 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, 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 said.

Meanwhile, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has urged residents in the state to take advantage of the state government’s healthcare initiatives such as the Edo Health Insurance Scheme, to manage the risks of hypertension.

The governor said this in commemoration of World Hypertension Stroke Day marked by the World Stroke Foundation.

He said, “In commemoration of World Hypertension Day, I encourage residents and stakeholders to take advantage of the Edo Health Insurance Scheme (Edo-HIS) which provides quality, affordable healthcare, and regular health checks to reduce the risk of the condition.”

According to him, “Ongoing reforms by the state government in the health sector are geared towards strengthening the delivery of quality and affordable healthcare for every resident.

“We have enhanced the capacity of personnel and are providing quality healthcare infrastructure to encourage more people to visit our health facilities and enroll for regular medical checkups.

“My administration will continue to strengthen primary healthcare to provide basic care that ensures access to quality healthcare in rural areas.

“As we make progress in ensuring we have 192 fully functional centers, we are working round the clock to provide the necessary infrastructure, technology, personnel, and resources to assure quality care.”

On the theme of the 2023 World Hypertension Day, ‘Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer,’ Obaseki urged stakeholders to support the government to strengthen advocacy campaigns on the importance of regular medical checkups to detect signs and early management of the disease.

He noted, “It is important for stakeholders to support governments across all levels to sustain enlightenment campaigns that encourage people to adopt healthy behaviours that limit the risk of hypertension by embracing healthy lifestyle choices, regular checks of blood pressure, eating healthy, and engaging in regular exercise.”

Obaseki tasked stakeholders in the private sector to take advantage of the state government policies and ensure their employees are enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme to access qualitative and affordable healthcare packages.

According to the World Hypertension League, World Hypertension Day was created first in 2005, to communicate the importance of hypertension and its serious medical complications, and to provide information on prevention, detection, and treatment.