The Nigerian government has said that the number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including hypertension, heart failure, cardiac arrest and stroke, among others, is increasing rapidly in the country.
The Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, made this known during an event to commemorate World Heart Day 2023 in Abuja on Friday.
Represented by the Minister of State for Health, Tunji Alausa, Mr Pate said the country’s morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases are underestimated due to inadequate awareness, limited screening tests and poor data repository.
He said that the statistics of the World Health Organization (WHO) show that CVDs are the leading non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and are the leading cause of death globally, claiming approximately 17.9 million lives each year.
It said 85 percent of deaths from cardiovascular diseases are due to heart attacks and strokes, and more than three-quarters occur in low- and middle-income countries.
“The 2018 WHO country profiles show that NCDs accounted for 29 per cent of all deaths in Nigeria and CVDs were responsible for 11 per cent of all NCD deaths,” he said.
“The country profile also shows that the risk of dying prematurely from NCDs in Nigeria is 22 percent. Premature mortality in this case is defined as death that occurs between the ages of 30 and 70 from any of the common NCDs.”
Cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria
Pate said that although the ministry is currently carrying out the survey of national measures on NCDs, some studies in Nigeria report various incidences and prevalences of cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension with a prevalence of more than 30 percent, incidence of strokes of 25.9 per 100,000 people per year between 2000 and 2015.
He said studies also show a prevalence of coronary heart disease of 0.7 percent; and rheumatic heart disease, which is a disease of the socioeconomically disadvantaged, in 27 per 1,000 children.
“It is pertinent to state that morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria are underestimated due to inadequate awareness and health-seeking behaviours, as well as limited screening, diagnostic and therapeutic services, including poor data repository” , said.
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“Given the silent and chronic nature of most cardiovascular diseases, it is important to institute lasting measures to prevent, detect and treat them early to avoid complications such as heart attacks, heart failure, strokes and even death.”
World Heart Day
World Heart Day is celebrated annually on September 29 to raise awareness about the importance of the heart and promote preventive measures to reduce the global impact and burden of heart diseases.
The theme of this year’s commemoration is; “Use the heart, know the heart.”
Pate said that beyond encouraging people to learn more about their hearts and how to keep them healthy, the theme also encourages people to show care and compassion toward people suffering from heart problems.
“It reminds us that caring for our hearts and those of others is not only a medical necessity but also a fundamental act of self-love and care for our loved ones,” he said.
Cardiac Emergency Response Box
At the event, the minister presented the Cardiac Emergency Response Box, also known as Automatic External Defibrillators (AED), to respond to cardiac emergencies such as cardiac arrest.
Pate said the boxes donated by the Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF) would be deployed in appropriate designated high population areas such as airports.
He said AEDs are portable, life-saving medical devices used to revive sudden cardiac arrest.
In his comment, the ministry’s Director of Public Health, Chukwuma Anyaike, said most heart problems have to do with lifestyle and eating pattern.
Anyaike said this is causing the deaths of millions of people around the world.