Nigeria’s health minister Osagie Ehanire says more than one million people worldwide live with hypertension.

Mr Ehanire said this on Wednesday in Abuja at a news conference commemorating 2023 World Hypertension Day, stressing that controlling hypertension is paramount in reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases in the country.

According to the minister, hypertension is the leading cardiovascular and non-communicable disease responsible for significant morbidity and mortality.

He also said that low- and middle-income countries were responsible for nearly 80 per cent of the global cardiovascular disease burden.

“Globally, more than one billion people worldwide are living with hypertension, and this represents more than 30 per cent of the adult population,” the health minister explained.

Mr Ehanire added, “Of this number, only 52 per cent are aware of their condition while about 35 per cent are on treatment, and less than 14 per cent have their blood pressure controlled.”

He noted that it was worrisome that the burden of hypertension “is disproportionately more in the low- and middle-income countries in recent decades due to the increase in the prevalence of risk factors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and harmful alcohol consumption.”

Mr Ehanire also mentioned that the significant burden was further heightened by the high proportion of people unaware of their condition, putting them at risk of avoidable medical complications and death.

For Nigeria, he said, several studies and surveys put the prevalence of hypertension in excess of 30 per cent.

Citing the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2019 NCDs Country Profiles, NCDs accounted for 29 per cent of all deaths in Nigeria with cardiovascular disease, predominantly hypertension, responsible for 11 per cent of all the NCD deaths, and premature mortality due to NCDs at 22 per cent.

(NAN)