As the world marks World Pulmonary Hypertension Day, advocates are calling for early diagnosis, improved care, and greater access to clinical trials for a life-threatening but often overlooked condition.

Every year on May 5, organisations and patient groups around the world observe World Pulmonary Hypertension Day, a global effort to raise awareness about pulmonary hypertension (PH), a condition that remains widely underdiagnosed and frequently misdiagnosed.

Founder of Cardiac Community Advocacy and Support Initiative, Ayotunde Omitogun, said, “As Nigeria’s first dedicated organisation focused on pulmonary hypertension awareness, we are proud to join the global PH community in marking World Pulmonary Hypertension Day 2026.”

She said its mission is to ensure that no patient walks the journey without support, information, or hope.

Beyond awareness, she said the group is also advocating for better diagnosis, improved access to care, and a reduction in the wide gap in PH care in Nigeria, noting that people living with PH in Nigeria deserve better care and that “We must do more to make that a reality.”

According to her, pulmonary hypertension is a form of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart.

Unlike the more common type of blood pressure measured with a cuff, she said PH places strain on the heart as it works harder to pump blood through narrowed or damaged blood vessels in the lungs.

If left untreated, Omitogun said it could lead to heart failure and death.

Noting that pulmonary hypertension has no cure, however, she said it can be managed to improve patient outcomes.

Unfortunately, the PH expert said the medications remain largely inaccessible in Nigeria.

She said, despite its severity, awareness remains low, stressing that many patients experience long delays before receiving an accurate diagnosis.

Sadly, she said, these delays often worsen outcomes.

Hinting more on World PH Day, Omitogun said it was first observed in 2012 and is now marked globally, noting that it is aimed at addressing the gaps by promoting awareness, encouraging early diagnosis, and advocating for better access to care and treatment.