Six Million Lagos Residents Living With High Blood Pressure – Health Ministry
The Lagos State Ministry of Health has revealed that about six million people living in the state have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Many of them do not know they have the condition.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, made this known during a leadership discussion organised by the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board and its partners.
The meeting was held to review the state of primary healthcare services in Lagos and find ways to improve them. It was attended by senior government officials, health managers, and local government leaders.
Prof. Abayomi said diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are becoming more common and are quietly causing serious health problems. He described them as “silent killers” because they often show no symptoms until serious damage has already been done.
According to him, about 20 percent of Lagos residents are living with hypertension.
Out of this number, nearly 70 percent around 4.2 million people do not know they have the condition.
He warned that untreated high blood pressure can lead to dangerous health problems such as stroke, heart failure, and kidney failure.
“The problem with hypertension and diabetes is that people may feel fine while serious damage is happening inside the body. That is why regular health checks are very important,” he said.
The commissioner explained that many of the serious cases seen in big hospitals could be prevented if people used primary healthcare centres (PHCs) more often.
He said simple actions like checking blood pressure, testing blood sugar, monitoring body weight, and giving lifestyle advice at PHCs can greatly reduce the number of people suffering serious complications.
Prof. Abayomi encouraged Lagos residents to visit nearby primary healthcare centres regularly, stressing that early detection and proper care are key to staying healthy and preventing avoidable deaths.
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