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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Health & Science

Nigeria: Patients, experts decry inadequate funding for hypertension treatment

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Patients, healthcare experts, and civil society advocates are calling for increased government funding and attention for hypertension and other non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.
  • They highlighted that millions of Nigerians suffer from hypertension, often unknowingly, due to inadequate awareness and poor access to screening and treatment.
  • Experts urged the media and civil society to advocate for prioritization of NCD funding and encourage routine blood pressure checks.

Millions of Nigerians are living with hypertension, yet the disease receives disproportionately low attention and funding, according to patients, healthcare experts, and civil society advocates. They decried the Federal Government's inadequate focus on hypertension and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) during a dialogue convened by the Advocacy Partnership for Hypertension Financing and Patient Voice Project.

Statistics show that millions and millions of Nigerians are hypertensive. The sad part of the story is that not many people know about it. So, we want it to be prioritised. We want the government to prioritise funding for non-communicable diseases, particularly hypertension.

— Prof Emmanuel AlhassanHighlighting the widespread and often undiagnosed nature of hypertension in Nigeria.

"Statistics show that millions and millions of Nigerians are hypertensive. The sad part of the story is that not many people know about it," said Prof. Emmanuel Alhassan, Country Lead for Health System Strengthening at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator. He noted that despite an estimated 27 million Nigerians living with hypertension, the disease receives less than four percent of the attention and funding allocated to other health conditions. Alhassan lamented that for 2025, "not even a single kobo was released" for hypertension funding.

You will notice that, for instance, for 2025, not even a single kobo was released. We really want our colleagues in the media and communities themselves to come together and advocate.

— Prof Emmanuel AlhassanExpressing concern over the lack of government funding allocated for hypertension in the upcoming fiscal year.

The experts called for increased funding, stronger public awareness campaigns, and improved access to screening and treatment. Francis Okonkwo, Head of Advocacy for the Patient-led Advocacy Working Group on Non-Communicable Diseases, urged Nigerians to make blood pressure checks a routine practice, warning that hypertension often shows no symptoms. He stressed the critical role of the media in educating the public about hypertension and advocating for greater investment from the government, private sector, and individuals in NCDs.

There is a huge burden of the disease, yet less than three to four per cent in terms of attention and funding is paid compared to other disease areas.

— Prof Emmanuel AlhassanIllustrating the significant disparity between the prevalence of hypertension and the resources allocated to its management.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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