…As group unveils publication on hypertension, diabetes, stroke

Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, has highlighted the importance of research, early detection and preventive healthcare in reducing complications associated with chronic illnesses.

Speaking at the unveiling of the two-volume publication, A Review of Non-Communicable Diseases in Nigeria, produced by the Health Sector Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON), Pate stated that the country’s health system must urgently prepare for a growing burden of chronic diseases as life expectancy improves and the population ages.

The minister listed hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, sickle cell disease, cancers and neurological disorders among the conditions requiring greater attention from policymakers and healthcare providers.

Pate attributed the emerging challenge partly to lifestyle changes and population ageing, noting that longer life expectancy could mean more Nigerians living with chronic conditions that require continuous monitoring and treatment.
 
He warned that non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and stroke, are becoming one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing health challenges, urging state governments to increase investment in healthcare to strengthen the country’s capacity to respond.

Pate argued that expanding health insurance was particularly important in tackling NCDs because, unlike many infectious diseases that may require relatively short courses of treatment, chronic conditions often impose recurring costs on patients and their families.

He explained that people living with diabetes and hypertension must continuously pay for medicines, laboratory investigations, diagnostic tests and routine consultations, making affordability a critical component of effective disease control.

“Now we are coming to the era of non-communicable diseases where, if you have diabetes or hypertension, you are on lifelong treatment that has a cost. You have to afford the medicines, afford the tests, and so expanding health insurance is also a critical piece to it,” he said.

The minister maintained that without stronger insurance coverage and sustainable healthcare financing, many Nigerians would remain vulnerable to the financial consequences of prolonged illness.

Pate also raised concerns about the scale of undiagnosed diabetes in Nigeria and the need for more research into how NCDs manifest among African populations.

He said much of the existing understanding of conditions such as diabetes had been derived from studies conducted in other populations, underscoring the need for evidence that reflects the experiences and health needs of African men and women.

“Diabetes is a huge problem, much of it yet undiagnosed,” he said, calling for deeper understanding of its manifestations among Nigerians, particularly in relation to other conditions such as hypertension.

He acknowledged progress in tackling infectious diseases, maternal and child mortality, but cautioned that NCDs were emerging as a major public health concern requiring sustained funding, improved diagnosis, affordable treatment and coordinated action across all levels of government.

According to him, while malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and maternal health challenges remain important, the growing prevalence of chronic illnesses presents a different set of demands because many affected patients require lifelong medical care.

He said, “In the past 30, 40 years, infectious diseases, maternal and child health were the main issues. They are still with us, but non-communicable diseases, even though smaller, are becoming an increasingly faster-growing segment of our burden of disease,” .

The minister called on state governments to complement federal reforms with increased health-sector funding, saying improvements in the country’s fiscal position and the resources available to states should translate into better healthcare delivery.

“States are getting a lot more resources now, thanks to major reforms over the last three years. The fiscal position is improved, but we need states to also join in this by putting resources so that we will get the health system properly to function,” he said.

He added that the Federal Government was working to strengthen the health system through the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, with emphasis on governance, workforce development, infrastructure, diagnostics, local production of medical commodities and financial protection for patients.

 Pate disclosed that more than seven million Nigerians had been added to health insurance through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), working with state governments, within the last three years.

He described the achievement as significant progress compared with the number enrolled during the preceding three decades.

“Through NHIA, in the last three years, with the states, more than seven million Nigerians have been added to health insurance, a third of what we have been able to accomplish in 30 years,” he said.

He commended HERFON and the publication’s contributors for providing analysis and recommendations that could guide Nigeria’s response to the growing disease burden.

Pate said the Federal Government had intensified efforts to build the capacity of healthcare workers and improve the infrastructure required to diagnose and treat complex diseases.

He disclosed that nearly 80,000 frontline health workers had been retrained in the last three years, while training curricula for medical and nursing students had been expanded. He also said the number of medical students being trained had doubled.

The minister stressed that although primary healthcare remained the foundation of the health system, Nigeria also needed stronger secondary and tertiary facilities capable of managing complex conditions, including cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

He disclosed that three of six planned world-class cancer centres had been commissioned.

According to him, two of 10 completed diagnostic centres had also been commissioned about two weeks before the event, with the facilities expected to strengthen access to advanced diagnostic services across the country.

The centres, he said, were equipped to provide services including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans and cardiac catheterisation laboratory services.

Pate further disclosed that a major infrastructure project at the National Hospital had recently received Federal Executive Council approval, with an estimated cost of N268 billion.

He described the investment as a significant intervention intended to expand the country’s capacity to provide advanced medical services.

The minister said these investments were part of a broader effort to ensure that Nigeria’s healthcare system could respond not only to existing health problems but also to emerging challenges associated with demographic and epidemiological changes.

Earlier, the Chairman of HERFON’s Board of Trustees, Alhaji Idris Muhammed described the publication as an important contribution to the national effort to control NCDs adding that the book examined the growing burden of diseases associated with lifestyle, inactivity and other risk factors, while providing recommendations to help government adopt appropriate policies.

Muhammed stated that the publication was intended to go beyond documenting the scale of the problem by identifying gaps in the country’s response and outlining measures required to reverse the trend.

He disclosed that 70 subject-matter experts from Nigeria, South Africa, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States contributed to the two-volume work.

According to him, the publication examines the state of NCDs in Nigeria, identifies shortcomings in existing responses and proposes actions needed to strengthen prevention and control.

He said the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) provided support for printing the publication.

 Muhammed outlined the objectives of the launch to include disseminating the book to stakeholders and the general public, stimulating national dialogue on NCD policy and financing, and mobilising resources to distribute copies to HERFON chapters in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as relevant institutions and contributors.

He also called for commitments from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Assembly and development partners to support advocacy programmes targeting hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, diabetes, sickle cell disease and other health concerns.

He urged stakeholders to translate the discussions into concrete policies and sustained interventions.

“Today, we seek your support not only to launch the book financially, but we seek your support to launch a renewed commitment to NCD prevention and control in Nigeria,” he said.

The Country Director of the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), Dr. Emmanuel Sokpo, said the growing burden of NCDs had significant implications for health equity, particularly for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

Sokpo noted that people with limited financial resources often had less access to prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, leaving them more exposed to the consequences of chronic illnesses.

He described the publication as a landmark contribution to the national debate on NCDs, health financing and equitable access to healthcare.

“The poor are more affected by NCDs because they have less access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment,” he said, adding that the book highlighted not only the burden of the diseases but also inequalities in access to essential services.

Sokpo commended the 70 contributing authors and the editors led by Dr. Amini, while expressing appreciation to TETFund for supporting the printing of the publication.

He also pledged NHED’s continued collaboration with HERFON in advocating health reforms.

Describing the urgency of the challenge, Sokpo recounted seeing more than 100 patients waiting for care at a university teaching hospital earlier on the day of the launch, saying the number was only a glimpse of the wider burden confronting the health system.

He said the publication could help address persistent challenges associated with healthcare financing and access.