Patients and experts decry inadequate government funding for hypertension in Nigeria

During the Executive Media, Patient and Civil Society Dialogue on Hypertension Financing, they called for increased funding, stronger public awareness, and improved access to screening and treatment. Professor Emmanuel Alhassan, Country Lead for Health System Strengthening at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, stated that millions of Nigerians are unknowingly living with hypertension due to a lack of awareness and poor access to routine screening. He highlighted that despite an estimated 27 million Nigerians having hypertension, the disease receives less than four percent of the attention and funding compared to other health conditions, with no funds released for 2025.

Francis Okonkwo, Head of Advocacy, Patient-led Advocacy Working Group on Non-Communicable Diseases, urged routine blood pressure checks, emphasizing that hypertension often presents no symptoms until severe complications arise. He shared personal experiences and warned that hypertension is increasingly affecting younger Nigerians and is exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyles. Both speakers stressed the media's crucial role in educating the public about hypertension, advocating for government investment, and promoting preventive health behaviors.