28.5% of adults in Kano suffering from hypertension

Kano State Government has said 28.5 per cent of adults between the ages of 30 to 79 are suffering from hypertension out of which nearly two-thirds (60.7%) were newly discovered.

The Commissioner for Health, Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, made this known while briefing journalists on the occasion of the 2024 World Hypertension Day with the theme: “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, and Live Longer.”

He said, “Hypertension is a major cause of a range of health problems such as strokes, heart attacks and kidney disease among others. Many people who suffer from hypertension are not aware that they have it as there can be no symptoms. Often, people only find out after suffering a heart attack or stroke.

“An estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30 to 79 years worldwide have hypertension. It was estimated that the global burden of hypertension will increase to more than 31% of the world’s adult population by 2025.

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“The prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria is 27.6%. In Kano, the most prevalent cardiovascular risk factor was hypertension which is 28.5% out of which nearly two-thirds (60.7%) of these hypertensives were newly discovered.”

He added that as part of the activities to commemorate the 2024 World Hypertension Day, there would be a volunteer manned screening site in Gwale Local Government Area to check the blood pressure of as many people as possible.

He further revealed that the state government offered free screening of patients and provision of subsidized medications for hypertensives patients across the state hospitals, free enrolment of vulnerable hypertensive patients in KSCHMA schemes, improved Health Care financing through KHETFUND and KSCHMA schemes, continuous training of healthcare personnel on management of hypertension and other non communicable diseases and strengthened the non-communicable diseases programme of the ministry especially in the management of hypertension, diabetics and other non communicable diseases.