Need to reduce the burden of CVD in Nigeria

At the UN high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) held in September 2011, the world’s leaders in view of how NCD risk factors are increasing in most low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) committed to tackling this emerging global epidemic. Hence, the World Health Assembly set a target of a 25 percent relative reduction in NCD mortality by 2025, also Known as the 25×25 strategy.

This goal which is now incorporated into World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) Global NCD Action Plan 2013—2020, lists nine voluntary national targets: to reduce mortality from NCDs, and to halt the rise in diabetes and obesity. The remaining seven are specific, including reduced alcohol consumption, increased physical activity, reduced dietary salt, reduced smoking, improved blood pressure control, and enhanced treatment of those at risk from the major NCDs. The Plan takes a broad view, acknowledging the social, economic, and political determinants of disease.

Consequently, the World Heart Federation recognising that achieving the 2025 targets would require a primary focus on cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, and that all of the targets have a direct impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD). The organisation committed itself to supporting action to reduce premature mortality from CVD by 25 percent by 2025.

According to health experts, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths worldwide, though, since the 1970s, cardiovascular mortality rates have declined in many high income countries. But at the same time, cardiovascular deaths and disease have increased at a fast rate in low and middle income countries.

Research has shown that CVD accounts for most NCD deaths or 17 million people annually, followed by cancer (7.6 million), respiratory disease (4.2 million) and diabetes (1.3 million). These four diseases are regarded as the most prominent NCDs. Interestingly; they are all linked by shared common modifiable risk factors including use of tobacco, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

In Nigeria, it was recently disclosed by the Executive Director, Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF), Kingsley Akinroye that about 80 percent of Nigerians die from heart related diseases that are preventable. According to him, there is an urgent need for national and international leaders to recognise the importance of heart-healthy environments in order to reduce the burden of CVD.

In addition, Akinroye noted that too often the responsibility for lifestyle changes is put on the individual to stop smoking, eating unhealthy diet and not exercising. However, what is often forgotten is that many people don’t always have the opportunity to make the right choice due to the confines of their home, work, school and community environments.

Records show that the first WHO Global Status Report on NCDs has already listed Nigeria and other developing countries as the worst hit with death from NCDs. And the burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria is likely to increase substantially over the next few decades. So there is a need for Nigeria to ensure that the increasing burden of NCDs in the country is curtailed before it becomes uncontrollable and a major health problem. Thus, governments at all levels have to double their efforts in ensuring that Nigerians do not suffer and die unnecessarily from preventable diseases. Most importantly, there must be increased awareness programme to educate Nigerians on how to reduce the burden of CVD.