World Hypertension Day Marked Amidst Political Hypothesis In Edo State

    Blood pressure check

By Bernadette Idalu

The "World Hypertension Day" which ran with the theme, "Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer," was marked today, May 17, 2024, despite the shock and subsequent heart palpation which followed a said discovery of a "River GRA" by a front line gubernatorial candidate.

This claim which riled the sensitivity of common placed people, was made despite public knowledge that Etete/GRA axis suffers from the after effects of erosion for a couple of years now, unattended to due to the absence of an effective drainage system in Benin City.

The attempt to suddenly make it a burning political issue at this point in time, when people are used to suffering, especially seeing a car drive across the alleged uncrossable river which hindered the movement and placed a burden on the masses, hence the call to rise to a state of consciousness, effortlessly made mockery of the discoveries of Mungo Park, a Scottish explorer of West Africa and his studies of the upper Niger River around 1796. 

The said discovery, which highlighted the need to grab attention in the buildup towards September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, comes on the heels of an earlier hypothesis propounded by another aspirant who took the wind off peoples sails with the declaration of going over and above people's expectations to make things work in the state if voted for through working nine days a week and twenty seven (27) hours a day. 

Though both videos of said encounters are presently trending online, side by side, it brings up the need for people to go swiftly for medical check ups to ascertain their blood pressures are still within normal range, to avoid sudden capitulation under the weight of propaganda and targeted misinformation.

According to a statement by Saima Wazed, World Health Organization, WHO, Regional Director for South-East Asia, Hypertension, in the words of the World Hypertension League, WHL, is "A driving force in the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the leading risk factor for death and disability globally."

He said World Hypertension Day, as initiated by the WHL in 2005, aims to increase awareness of this silent killer, and galvanise global action to combat high blood pressure. 

WHO statistics show that more than one billion people around the world live with hypertension (high blood pressure), a major cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death which has heightened the onus to raise awareness and promote hypertension prevention, detection and control measures.

The release said two thirds of cases are found in low and middle income countries, largely due to increased risk factors in those populations in recent decades such as high intake of salt, tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, stress, and air pollution, key risk factors for the rising prevalence for hypertension.

Also, around half of the people living with hypertension are unaware of their condition, putting them at risk of avoidable medical complications and death.

In the South -East Asia region, for instance early detection and control are crucial. Amongst adults with hypertension, half are unaware they have it, and nearly 1 in 6 do not have their blood pressure under control. Uncontrolled, it can lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, and early death. Limited access to affordable healthcare services for hypertension is one of prime reasons for the low Universal Service Coverage Index for most countries in the region and impacts access to quality health services.

In another report for 2023, an estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30–79 years worldwide were said to have hypertension, 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they have the condition with less than half of adults (42%) with hypertension diagnosed and treated. Also, approximately 1 in 5 adults (21%) with hypertension have it under control.

Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide. This gave rise to the need to reduce the prevalence of hypertension by 33% between 2010 and 2030, being a global target for noncommunicable diseases.

stardustonline sampled the opinion of people but one respondent who did not want name mentioned lamented the present high costs of buying antihypertensive drugs in the country. The respondent said, "A drug i previously bought for #400 now goes for #1800. When combined with diuretics and other associated drugs, one can part with as much as #8000 to #15000, depending on the brand of drugs, in a month."

The respondent called on government to provide a conducive environment to encourage indigenous pharmaceutical companies to produce drugs for local use at cheaper rates since the multinational pharmaceutical companies are moving out of Nigeria.

The respondent revealed that it was not until the blood pressure was checked that it was discovered that unexplained symptoms such as incessant headache, blurred vision, chest pain and light headedness which became a recurring decimal were pointers to high blood pressure. This necessitated being put on drugs.

Based on research, high blood pressure is mostly associated with the black race. However other studies claim it is also related with older age and genetics, thus the need for lifestyle changes like eating a healthier diet, quitting tobacco and being more active.

Health practitioners in Edo State, going by modern practice, encourage patients to go for routine medical checkups to know their blood pressure as well as to make for an early diagnosis of related or associated underlying ailments. Blood pressure checks have been incorporated into the normal medical routine checks at hospitals, at the point of entry for quite some years now. If left untreated, it can lead to other health conditions like kidney disease, heart disease and stroke, they say.

People with very high blood pressure going by the earlier said WHO report can experience symptoms such as severe headaches, chest pain, dizziness, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision or other vision changes, anxiety,confusion, buzzing in the ears, nosebleeds and abnormal heart rhythm.

Such, are advised to eat more vegetables and fruits, sit less, be more physically active, which can include walking, running, swimming, dancing or activities that build strength, like lifting weights, get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, do strength building exercises 2 or more days each week, loose weight if overweight or obese, take medicines as prescribed by health care professional and keep appointments with health care professionals.

Saima Wazed in ending the statement for this year, stated, "Improving hypertension prevention and control should be an integral part of every nation's journey towards Universal Health Coverage. Not only can this potentially save countless lives, it also carries significant economic advantages and advances progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets."