The Nigerian Cardiac Society has urged the federal government to strengthen cardiovascular disease prevention, expand screening and improve treatment for Nigerians living with heart disease.
The society made the call during activities marking the 2026 World Heart Day, themed : ‘Don’t Miss A Beat.’ held in Abuja. The programme featured a school debate and art competition, cardiovascular symposium and cardiovascular screening.
The President of the society, Prof. Rasaaq Adebayo, said although the government had made progress in improving healthcare facilities and services, more needed to be done.
He said the growing population had increased the demand for cardiovascular healthcare services.
“Our association has been partnering with the government, and the government has been doing a lot in terms of enhancing facilities, providing facilities and providing services.
“But you know that the population keeps growing, and the needs of the people keep growing.
“We still continue to advocate for more facilities. The ones that have been used, we need to replace them and so on,” Adebayo said.
The NCS president also urged the government to intensify efforts in cardiovascular health promotion, disease prevention and treatment.
He said Nigerians had become more conscious of physical exercise compared with previous decades but noted that more needed to be done to reduce sedentary lifestyles.
“We have moved significantly. There has been significant progress in all those areas.
“If you look at 20 or 30 years ago and now, a lot of primary prevention measures and health education have been done,” he said.
Adebayo, however, warned that increasing automation was contributing to sedentary lifestyles.
“Not that we have gotten there, but it has changed, unlike before when people were not doing it.
“We still agree that a lot needs to be done in terms of making sure that people are less sedentary,” he added.
Also speaking, a Professor of Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist, Prof. Amam Mbakwe, called for cardiovascular screening to be incorporated into the primary healthcare system.
Mbakwe, who is also the Vice-President of the World Heart Federation, said cardiovascular disease remained a major cause of death globally.
She said Nigeria could not rely solely on specialists and tertiary hospitals to tackle the growing burden of cardiovascular diseases.
“The screening must start at the primary healthcare level.
“And what we’re saying is that we don’t need to develop another system. Let’s integrate it into the already existing primary healthcare system,” she said.
Mbakwe cited Nigeria’s experience with HIV services as an example of how existing healthcare structures could be strengthened.
“I mean, it worked with HIV. We integrated HIV into primary care, and that model has worked.
“If we see something that works, it’s something we can leverage on,” she said.
She urged the government to provide the necessary equipment and resources to make cardiovascular screening possible at primary healthcare centres.
“There have to be functioning clinics.
“There have to be glucometers to check blood sugar. They should be able to measure weight, check the urine for protein,” Mbakwe added.
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Cardiac Society, Prof. Enjiroghene Umuerri, called for increased local production of cardiovascular medicines to reduce their cost.
Umuerri said several cardiovascular medicines had been listed on Nigeria’s Essential Medicines List and were relatively affordable.
She, however, noted that most of the medicines were imported, increasing the cost of treatment.
“None of these drugs is manufactured in Nigeria. Most of the drugs, almost all, are imported.
“So, you can imagine the added cost of having to import these medications. That in itself is driving the cost high,” she said.
Umuerri urged Nigerian pharmaceutical companies to begin producing essential cardiovascular medicines locally.
“One of the things that we are advocating for is to have more companies come to compound those essential drugs in Nigeria.
“What that stands to do is that it will help to significantly drive down the cost of the medications and also provide jobs for the teeming Nigerians,” she said.
She also called for fixed-dose combinations to be included in the Essential Medicines List.
According to her, many patients with hypertension, one of the major risk factors for heart disease, require more than one medication.
She said combining two or three drugs in a single tablet could make treatment easier for patients and improve adherence.
“What we are advocating for is to have those fixed-dose combinations entered into the Essential Medicines List as well.
“So that they can be available through the NHIA programmes and other programmes that can make these medications more affordable for Nigerians,” Umuerri said.
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