Non-communicable
diseases like hypertension have always been regarded as a disease of the rich –
but this has changed drastically in the last two decades. Numbers of high blood
pressure patients are now higher in Africa than in Europe and USA, more
alarming is that the disease is most common among Africa’s poorest.
In
a recent exercise, Community Health Workers checked blood pressure of slum
residents in their home. Out of over 4000 screened by door to door visits,
about 1000 were found with raised blood pressure and were referred to receive
treatment at Cardiovascular disease clinic set up by the SCALE UP project.
Hypertension
is commonly known as having high blood pressure and it is the number one risk factor
for strokes and heart attacks otherwise known as cardiovascular diseases (CVD),
in Africa.
“CVDs
have become one of the leading causes of death in Africa and the total numbers
will further increase in the next decades reflecting on the growing urbanization
and related lifestyle changes of Africans.” Says Dr. Samuel Oti, a lead
researcher at African Population and
Health Research Center (APHRC).
Traditionally
in Africa, communicable diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as well
as maternal and nutritional illnesses, accounted for the greatest numbers of
preventable deaths. However, this burden is shifting fast towards chronic non-
communicable diseases, including CVDs.
According
to Dr.Samuel this phenomenon is what is being termed as the “double burden of
disease”. Whereas high blood pressure was almost non-existent in African
societies in the first half of the twentieth century, estimates now show that
in some settings in Africa, more than 40 percent of adults have hypertension.
The
new epidemic of hypertension and CVD not only has an impact on the health of a
nation – but has an economic impact as well. A significant proportion of the
working age population can become chronically ill or die, leaving their
families in poverty.
Like
many other non-communicable diseases, hypertension is a silent killer that in
general has no specific symptoms or physical complaints. It can only be
detected by having one’s blood pressure measured on a regular basis.
“At
this stage of the African epidemic of hypertension and CVD, the most important
thing will be to raise awareness about the importance and urgency of knowing
one’s blood pressure among the population, patients, doctors and policy makers.”
Says Dr Isabella Aboderin a researcher
in charge of aging at APHRC.
The
medics further suggest the following strategies terming them as key in
controlling the hypertension epidemic.
Prevention
of CVDs through standardized guidelines for hypertension management in primary
health care settings, this is much more effective in health and financial terms
than treatment of complications in hospitals. Developing and sharing best
practices for affordable and effective community based programs in screening
and treatment of hypertension.
More
so Africa needs policies developed and implemented through a multi-sectoral
approach involving the Ministries of Health and other sectors including
education, agriculture, transport, finance among others.
And
in order to address and monitor this epidemic appropriately more research on
prevalence of hypertension and risk factors needs to be done in different
settings in the region.
The
resource people in this article are senior researchers affiliated with the
African Population and Health Research Center. Their research focuses on Non
Communicable Diseases and Aging issues in Africa.
