CSO urges presidency to make heart health top development priority
By Ojoma Akor
The Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL) has urged the Presidency of Nigeria to treat cardiovascular, or heart, health as a national development priority.
The organization, in a statement signed by its program director, Damilola Ademuyiwa, warned that the growing burden of hypertension and cardiovascular disease threatens the health and productivity of Nigerians.
The call was made Tuesday as Nigeria joined the global observance of World Heart Day, with LISDEL urging the Federal Government to move cardiovascular health higher on the national policy and health-financing agenda.
The organization said cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for an estimated 29 percent of deaths in Nigeria, while hypertension continues to affect a significant proportion of the adult population.
According to LISDEL, adult hypertension prevalence in Nigeria stands at 38.1 percent, but only 12.4 percent of people living with the condition have their blood pressure under control.
It warned that without sustained investment in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care, Nigeria’s cardiovascular disease burden could continue to undermine progress in health and development.
LISDEL called on the Presidency to provide political leadership for cardiovascular health and give timely assent to health-financing reforms once they complete the legislative process.
The organization said cardiovascular health should no longer be viewed solely as a health-sector issue, arguing that the consequences of uncontrolled hypertension and cardiovascular disease extend to household finances, workforce productivity and national development.
‘Cardiovascular health is a development issue’
LISDEL’s intervention places cardiovascular health within the wider debate on sustainable health financing and national development.
The organization said the government must ensure that Nigerians diagnosed with hypertension are not left without treatment because of the cost of medicines and follow-up care.
It also urged Nigerians to check their blood pressure regularly, adhere to prescribed treatment, reduce salt and seasoning-cube consumption, stay physically active, and enroll in health insurance schemes.
“Knowing your numbers is the first step, not the destination,” LISDEL said.
“A free blood pressure check today means little if the patient cannot afford medicines next month.”
The organization said many Nigerians pay out of pocket for blood pressure checks, consultations and medicines, resulting in treatment interruptions when patients cannot afford continued care.
It also identified low health insurance coverage, particularly among informal-sector workers, as another barrier to sustained hypertension management.
39.1 million Nigerians projected to have hypertension by 2030
LISDEL said the scale of the challenge requires urgent policy attention, noting that the number of Nigerians living with hypertension has been projected to rise to 39.1 million by 2030, compared with 20.8 million in 2010.
It also pointed to the growing presence of hypertension among younger Nigerians, with prevalence recorded at 6.8 percent among adults below 30 years.
Globally, cardiovascular disease kills more than 20 million people annually, while the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.4 billion people were living with hypertension in 2024.
LISDEL said the Nigerian government therefore needs to approach cardiovascular or heart disease prevention and treatment as a long-term development investment rather than relying primarily on periodic awareness campaigns.
Evidence shows hypertension control is possible.
The organization cited the Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria program as evidence that stronger primary healthcare systems can improve blood pressure control.
The program applied the WHO HEARTS package across 60 primary healthcare facilities, with LISDEL reporting that hypertension control increased from 22 percent in 2020 to 56 percent in 2023.
It said such interventions should be scaled up and adequately financed across the country.
Calls for coordinated government action
Beyond the Presidency, LISDEL called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to make hypertension screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up routine at the primary healthcare level.
It urged the ministry to ensure that facilities have functional blood pressure equipment, trained health workers and consistent supplies of essential medicines.
The organization also called on the Federal Ministry of Finance to provide predictable financing for non-communicable diseases, including timely release and effective utilization of approved allocations.
For the National Health Insurance Authority and state health insurance agencies, LISDEL called for hypertension consultations, essential diagnostics and medicines to be fully included in benefit packages.
It further urged the agencies to expand enrolment among informal-sector workers and vulnerable populations.
LISDEL called on the National Assembly to strengthen oversight of health-budget releases and advance proposed amendments to increase the Basic Health Care Provision Fund from one per cent to two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
It also backed the proposed Customs and Excise amendment on sugar-sweetened beverages, calling for a portion of the revenue to be dedicated to NCD interventions.
As part of its World Heart Day activities, LISDEL said it is publishing a blog titled “Beyond Knowing Your Numbers: Making Hypertension Care Affordable for Every Nigerian” and conducting a social media campaign featuring citizens, patients, civil society organizations and government officials discussing heart health, healthcare costs and insurance.
The campaign will continue through Cardiovascular Disease Awareness Month and conclude on World Stroke Day on October 29, 2026.
