Patient Advocates Call For Increased Funding For Hypertension Care In Nigeria

Patient advocates have called for greater national attention and increased funding for hypertension and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). They urged the federal government to adopt the same level of urgency used in maternal and child health programmes.

The call was made during an advocacy visit to the chairman of the House Committee on Health Care Services, Hon. Amos Magaji, at the National Assembly in Abuja.

On behalf of the NCD patient community, Francis Okonkwo said conditions such as hypertension and diabetes have long been neglected in national health budgeting despite their growing impact on Nigerians.

He urged lawmakers to ensure “parity” in health funding, noting that while maternal health has received significant investment and attention over the years, NCDs continue to rise with limited structured support.

“I can see hope, but we need the same level of commitment used for maternal health to be applied to hypertension, which is a silent killer affecting millions of Nigerians,” Okonkwo said.

Lawmakers at the meeting acknowledged that non-communicable diseases are becoming a major public health concern in the country.

Hon. Magaji said findings from his oversight responsibilities show that hypertension and diabetes are now among the leading causes of hospital visits nationwide.

He noted that despite the growing burden, funding for NCDs remains limited compared to other health priorities.

In response to the advocacy, Magaji pledged to push for improved budgetary provisions for hypertension and related conditions.

He said efforts were ongoing to ensure separate budget lines for hypertension funding, Protection of NCD funds as “first-line charge” to guarantee timely release,

Legislative support for increasing the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) from 1 per cent to 2 per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

He added that these measures would help ensure more predictable and targeted financing for NCDs.

The engagement was organised under the Advocacy Partnership for Hypertension Financing and Patient Voice (APH-FiP), led by the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL) with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).

Programme officials said the initiative aims to strengthen patient participation in health financing discussions and improve accountability in budget allocations.

According to the group, early detection and treatment of hypertension remain critical to reducing long-term healthcare costs.

Stakeholders at the meeting agreed on several follow-up actions, including aNational Assembly awareness campaign on NCDs, free blood pressure screening for lawmakers and staff, ngagement with the Budget Office and Ministry of Finance to improve coordination on funding allocations.

Advocates said the goal is to ensure that hypertension receives greater visibility in national health planning and budgeting processes.