Strategy To Tackle Nigeria’s Staggering Life Expectancy Gap Unveiled

Garfield, a public health awareness organisation, has launched an urgent new health strategy to tackle Nigeria’s growing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) crisis, which has led to an average life expectancy of 52 years.

The strategy, launched by The Gatefield Health Summit 2024 with the theme “Beyond 65,” was held in Abuja on Tuesday. It covers five interventions for change, including fixing the national diet, eliminating tobacco, promoting physical activity, improving air quality, and supporting mental health.

The organisation’s Lead Strategist, Adewunmi Emoruwa, said the plan targets the prevention of NCDs like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke, which account for 30% of all deaths in Nigeria and 37% of all deaths in Africa.

“NCDs are responsible for over 684,000 deaths annually in Nigeria-equivalent to wiping out the entire population of Luxembourg every single year. This preventable crisis can no longer be ignored,” Emoruwa said.

He also cited the need for immediate interventions, noting the dangerous rise of unhealthy diets such as foods and beverages containing added sugars, excessive salt consumption, alcohol and tobacco use, and environmental pollution as driving factors for the quiet epidemic of NCDs.

Emoruwa said the strategy will push for policies that encourage routine screenings, public health education, and more vigorous enforcement of regulations on ultra-processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and harmful substances like tobacco and alcohol.

In her remarks, Gatefield’s Board Co-Chair Sa’adatu Hamu-Aliyu said statistically, the average Nigerian does not live past the age of 52, and the average African does not live past the age of 64, compared to Europe, Japan, and Canada, where life expectancy exceeds 80 years.

“An average person in the developed world is likely to live at least 20 years longer than their fellow humans in low and middle-income populations.”

Also speaking, the Director General/CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Kelechi Ohiri, said the issue of NCDs was urgent and multifaceted. Hence, the government remained committed to tackling the menace.

Represented by Olufemi Adeoye, the Deputy Director at NHIA, the director general said the rising toll of NCDs was not merely a health problem but a social, economic, and moral challenge that demanded Nigeria’s collective attention and action.

“This summit comes at a crucial moment in our collective effort to address one of the most significant challenges of our time, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which now account for 74% of global deaths.

“This epidemic is particularly devastating in low- and middle-income countries, where many are tragically lost to NCD-related diseases before reaching the age of 65.

“Discussions should focus on a wide range of issues central to combating NCDs, from food justice and lifestyle changes to advocating for high-level policy interventions. One particularly pressing topic is the role of pro-health taxes in reducing the consumption of harmful products like processed foods and sugary drinks,” he added.

For her part, Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, President of the Union for International Cancer Control, represented by Dr Zainab Dambatta, stressed the importance of policy in addressing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, adding that “to mitigate the burden of NCDs, we need to discuss how.

Highlighting the urgent need for healthcare investment, Dr Oyebanji Filani, Chairperson of the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum, stressed the need for increased healthcare investment, strengthening healthcare infrastructure, and enhancing national capacity for disease surveillance.

The President of Movendi International, Kristina Sperkova, highlighted the healthcare industry’s shortcomings: “People care about being healthy and staying healthy, yet good health is out of reach for many.

“The healthcare industry employs exploitative methods, fueling the public health crisis of NCDs. We must live when people’s health is prioritised sustainably.”

Moji Makanjuola, chair of the Nigeria Universal Health Coverage Forum, highlighted the severity of NCDs in low—and middle-income countries, saying, “NCDs account for over 85% of deaths in low—and middle-income countries like Nigeria, putting a strain on family finances and healthcare resources.”

She says, “Tackling NCDs requires healthcare reforms, and we must prioritise preventive care from the primary level until the tertiary level. To do this, investment in healthcare infrastructure is crucial—the government and private sectors must collaborate to achieve this. Universal Health Coverage is a human right we all must pursue; however, prevention remains our most powerful tool.”