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admin - Rolls out initiative to combat high blood pressure, obesity
By Oyebola Owolabi
About 8.6 million Lagosians, representing 30 per cent of the population, reportedly suffer from high blood pressure. Another 6.5 million are obese while 1.7 million suffer diabetes yearly, it has been learnt.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi reeled out the statistics during a news conference to announce the commencement of a campaign against hypertension and diabetes tagged, ‘Know Your Numbers and Control Your Numbers.’
The one-week campaign, a brainchild of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Health Commissioners Forum, aims to educate 10 million Nigerians on the dangers of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. There will also be free checks and counseling for persons who have the diseases.
According to Abayomi, the campaign will run from October 28 to November 3 simultaneously across all the states. Lagos State has a target of 800,000 persons to reach.
The commissioner noted that obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes are closely-related ailments which may seem harmless, but can destroy lives.
He said: “Some of the risk factors of diabetes and high blood pressure include overweight, sedentary lifestyle, high sugar and salt diet, processed food, family history, old age, smoking, and stress.
“The symptoms of diabetes include frequent desire to pass urine, regular thirst, extreme tiredness, blurred vision, wounds not healing on time, while symptoms of high blood pressure are headaches, blurred vision, shortness of breath and chest pain.
“While obesity comes across as an easy going ailment, it destroys people’s lives slowly, and high blood is often undetected until it’s too late. We therefore urge people to pay attention to their health by having regular checks.”
Abayomi, who acknowledged that the three diseases are silent pandemics as they are the leading cause of kidney and liver failure, assured the people that they are non-communicable and can be cured.
He urged Lagosians to visit the over 300 health centres across the state within the one week to get tested free.
The commissioner also admonished the people to adopt healthy lifestyles by having regular health checks, eating balanced diet, reducing the intake of sugar, salt and calories, drink alcohol in moderation, manage stress, among others.
He also warned against the consumption of herbal products not certified by NAFDAC, saying the hospitals are filled with people suffering the consequences of consuming uncertified herbal products.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso also urged Lagosians to check their blood pressure regularly.
“Know your numbers. This is a very important campaign. Whatever the Federal Government wants states to do, Lagos is very ready for it,” he said
