Afrigather Abakaliki, 5 August, 2024 – It was a heat Wednesday morning when the outreach workforce arrange their makeshift clinic on the Ebonyi State Secretariat in Abakaliki Native Authorities Space in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria.
The workforce, comprising Ebonyi State well being staff, members of the Nigerian Medical Pupil Affiliation, and companions, together with workers of the World Well being Group (WHO), have been out to supply free medical check-ups, educate the neighborhood on varied well being points, with a give attention to hypertension, and supply preventive care. The outreach was performed to boost consciousness about Hypertension and commemorate the 2024 World Hypertension Day.
The collaboration tagged “Operation Know your numbers”, performed on the Market Sq. and different public locations not solely supplied rapid medical help but in addition educated the neighborhood on fostering a tradition of normal well being check-ups, avoiding extreme salt consumption, risks of smoking, and preventive care.
Among the many residents who benefitted from the outreach was Mr Nwanjoku Ignatius, a 58-year-old authorities official who was inspired by his colleague to examine his well being standing.
A stunning prognosis
When it was his flip, Mr Nwanjoku sat down with a nurse who started the usual procedures: checking his weight, top, and blood stress. The nurse’s expression quickly turned severe, as Mr Nwanjoku’s blood stress studying was alarmingly excessive. He was instantly referred to the physician on web site.
“Earlier than the screening, I used to be not conscious I had hypertension. I’ve at all times been doing my work, going to the farm, and travelling to my village with out issues. I had no purpose to go to a hospital for a very long time”, he mentioned.
Mr Nwanjoku was each shocked and confused. Reassured by the medical workforce onsite, they counselled him in regards to the illness, the frequent threat components and life-style modifications he ought to make. He was prescribed free remedy to start his therapy instantly. He was additionally referred to a well being centre near his locality for follow-up and common check-ups. Days after taking remedy, Mr Nwanjoku can attest that his numbers have diminished.
“I’ve reduce plenty of issues from my life to make sure I’m wholesome and I exploit my remedy constantly as prescribed.”, he added.
Understanding hypertension
By the tip of the five-day (20 to 25 Might 2024) outreach, 518 individuals have been screened for hypertension, and 346 (67%) had irregular readings with elevated blood stress. Solely 51 (10%) of these with irregular BP had prior data of their situation.
Different companies supplied included blood sugar screening for diabetes and physique mass index measures to find out whether or not people have been underweight, obese, or overweight.
Findings from the outreach program highlighted a important challenge: the prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension in the neighborhood is critically excessive. Many residents, like Mr Nwanjoku, are unaware of their well being standing and the dangers they face.
Hypertension is a serious threat issue for heart problems and a serious reason behind untimely loss of life worldwide. Sometimes called hypertension, hypertension, is a situation the place the power of the blood in opposition to the artery partitions is simply too excessive.
Globally, an estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30 to 79 have hypertension with most (two-thirds) dwelling in low- and middle-income international locations. An estimated 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they’ve the situation, lower than half of adults (42%) with hypertension are identified and handled and roughly 1 in 5 adults (21%) with hypertension have it underneath management.
In Nigeria, one in each three adults is hypertensive. One of many international targets for non-communicable ailments is to scale back the prevalence of hypertension by 33% between 2010 and 2030.
A Routine examine
Dr Hyacinth Ebenyi the Director for Public Well being of the ESMoH, who recommended WHO for the intervention, took time to elucidate hypertension to the general public in the course of the marketing campaign, mentioned “ “Hypertension, usually termed the silent killer, is a serious public well being problem that calls for our rapid consideration. This situation impacts tens of millions and continuously goes undiagnosed till extreme problems resembling coronary heart illness, stroke, kidney failure and even loss of life happen.
We encourage all adults to examine their blood stress usually as early detection saves lives. As soon as somebody is identified with hypertension early, the situation will be managed by means of life-style modification and remedy.”
To conduct the outreach, WHO supported the state authorities in offering sensitization and academic supplies, screening gear, renovation and activation of the non-functional workers clinic on the State Secretariat with a Sphygmomanometer, glucometer, weighing scale, stadiometer for screening, inspecting sofa, urinalysis check equipment to additional allow common NCD screenings within the locality.
Moreover, WHO workers have been on the bottom in the course of the outreach supporting well being talks together with hypertension and diabetes administration, and counselling workout routines.
Talking on the end result of the outreach, WHO State Coordinator, Dr Vivan Ibeziako mentioned “ Hypertension is a preventable and manageable situation. With well timed prognosis and acceptable therapy, we will drastically cut back the burden of this illness.
It’s time for coordinated motion. By working collectively—authorities companies, WHO, healthcare suppliers, and the general public—we will create a more healthy future the place hypertension is now not a silent risk. Allow us to commit to creating hypertension consciousness and administration a nationwide precedence, guaranteeing higher well being outcomes for all.” She mentioned.
