… 1.5billion people hypertensive, 7.6million deaths, annually
KENNETH EZE
The second edition of the Health Talk Series, powered by 9mobile, was hosted virtually, under the theme, ‘Responding to the Rising Challenge of Hypertension in a Pandemic Depressed World’.
The session was facilitated by a seasoned medical practitioner and health brand strategist, Dr. Juliet Offiah (aka Dr Julz).
She disclosed that currently, about 1.5billion people were suffering from hypertension globally with 7.6million deaths attributed to the medical condition, annually.
“Sadly, Africa is the worst hit, due to poverty, and a lack of adequate helpful information and access to quality healthcare,” she said.
She asserted that the onslaught of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic had also impacted on the numbers of emerging cases of hypertension across the continents, as people battled with stress, mental health, while global and local medical healthcare resources remained largely focused disproportionately on containing Covid-19.
The live session on Instablog9ja, was featured insights about the silent killer.
Dr. Offiah said that most people with hypertension were unaware of the problem because “sometimes it has no warning signs or symptoms. Unfortunately, by the time they realize this, it may have caused significant damage.”
She explained that there were no known causes of hypertension, however, there were identifiable risk factors closely associated with the disease, which she classified into modifiable and non-modifiable factors.
The modifiable risk factors, she said, comprised behavioral patterns within the control of an individual such as excessive consumption of alcohol, abuse of drug, unhealthy lifestyle etc.
The non-modifiable factors were those beyond the control of an individual such as aging process, racial background, family history etc.
She explained that, the condition can be effectively managed with the right medication and a change in lifestyle.
She identified some of the preventive measures as reduction in salt intake, consumption of more fruits and vegetables, avoiding the use of tobacco, reduction in alcohol consumption, limiting the intake of foods high in saturated fats and regular physical exercises.
The facilitator highlighted the importance of cutting down on stress level, checking blood pressure readings regularly and observing a disciplined regiment of prescribed medications as helpful measures in managing hypertension.
In responding to the challenges highlighted, she recommended the adoption of telemedicine, training and expansion of community health workers and exploring partnerships that will help patients access information real-time.
She said, “Telemedicine has come to stay; people should be able to have access to health services virtually especially during this pandemic.
“Telemedicine will help healthcare systems around the world a great deal to keep health records of patients, this way we are able to keep track and retrieve data easily. For instance, USSD can be leveraged for check-ups and reminders. This is where 9mobile has continued to show impressive initiative in supporting the health sector.”
Executive Director, Regulatory and Corporate Affairs, 9mobile, Abdulrahman Ado, said “We decided to put the spotlight on the subject of Hypertension because of the worrying trend we are beginning to see. At 9mobile, we will continue to drive initiatives that improve the quality of life of Nigerians through sensitisation and collaborations which informed our partnership with award-winning telemedicine provider Mobihealth International to enable more Nigerians access care virtually from the safety and comfort of their homes.”
