Likely increase in heart disease in Nigeria – Expert

After research shown the increase in death rate in Nigeria, the researchers concluded that the deaths, which are poorly investigated, are due to heart disease also known as cardiovascular disease.

Heart disease is a significant public health concern responsible for 11 per cent of over two million Non-communicable Disease (NCD) deaths in Nigeria yearly. It is also responsible for a high burden of morbidity and disability. Most people with CVDs are not aware until catastrophes like stroke, heart attack or death occur.

The economic burden of NCD’s on families and Nigeria, in general,

is significant because the cost of treatment is high, usually paid out of pocket and death is mostly premature, cutting victims at their prime.

As part of efforts to reduce the high incidence of cardiovascular-related deaths in the country, the Cardiology Education Foundation programme has partnered with the Cardiocare Multispecialty Hospital, Abuja to restore cardiovascular health for the less privileged persons from different parts of the country through its Interventional Cardiology Discount Programme.

Already, 16 patients have received between 80-90 percent discounted treatments for cardiovascular diseases at the Cardiocare Multispecialty Hospital.

 

A consultant physician and the Medical Director of Cardiocare Multispecialty Hospital, Dr. Oyindamola Awofisoye, lamented that there is an alarming increase in cardiovascular-related deaths in the country, adding that the burden of cardiovascular disease in Nigeria is highly underreported.

 

He said, “We have many Nigerians coming down with heart attacks, heart failures every day and a lot of these people had to pay out of pocket for their procedures while many people are unable to fund this kind of care in many situations. Most people resort to travelling out of the country to solve this kind of problem. The programme is targeted at less privileged people who cannot afford the treatment they need for their hearts. Interventional Cardiology Discount Programme wants to make good heart health affordable in Nigeria regardless of the complexity of the disease”.