Apparently worried by the alarming increase in the number of hypertension and diabetes patients in Ekiti state, Governor Biodun Oyebanji has expressed readiness to tackle the menace.
He stressed the urgent need to key into the Project 10 million Campaign initiative by the federal government to put the scourges under control.
Governor Oyebanji said over 70% of mortality suffered by people between ages 30 and 70 were caused by hypertension and diabetes, which make the diseases the most notorious killers of the Nigerian productive population.
The governor spoke Monday in Ado-Ekiti while flagging off the federal government’s powered project 10m Campaign against hypertension and diabetes tagged: “Know your number, control your number.”
Represented the Deputy Governor Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, the governor said the project, 10million, is a national initiative by the forum of health commissioners in the country, to tackle increasing prevalence of hypertension and diabetes.
He said Ekiti was combining the ‘project 10 Million initiative’ with an innovative state intervention to rapidly increase demand for primary health care services in Ekiti State, that is key to achieving universal health coverage for the people.
Oyebanji described as highly depressing and disturbing the “increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases in the country due to various factors including change in our lifestyle,” saying 27% of deaths in the country are caused by non- communicable diseases.
“There is a 70 percent chance of dying from hypertension and diabetes between the ages of 30 and 70 years in Nigeria. Despite these alarming statistics a lot of people are not aware of their status as far as these health conditions are concerned making them a silent threat to their health and wellbeing.
“We hope to conduct free screening for about 200,000 people in Ekiti State for hypertension and diabetes within the week-long campaign in 161 screening centres across the state from Monday, 28 October to Sunday, 3 November, 2024 with a focus on adults from age 18 years”.
The governor stated that counseling will be organised for all participants on non-communicable diseases and newly diagnosed people will be linked to a hospital closest to them for care, saying there will also be opportunity for short term refill for known hypertension patients during the exercise.
On his achievements in the health sector, Governor Oyebanji disclosed that his government had through Ulera Wa, expanded free antenatal care services, free delivery and post-delivery care services for all pregnant women, free immunization services for all children, free treatment of all children under the age of five years, among others.
He,however, appealed to traditional leaders, religious organizations, market women, local government leaders, health workers, and civil society organizations , to support this intervention and ensure its success in their various jurisdictions.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, said the rationale behind the free screening was to checkmate the frightening and spiraling level of hypertension and diabetes across the country, Ekiti inclusive.
Filani said statistics confirmed that about 27 percent of the morbidity rate in the country was due to the scourges of hypertension and diabetes, which he said, made it imperative for the citizens to participate in the free health programme.