Data from the Lagos State Ministry of Health reveal that approximately six million residents are living with hypertension, with a significant portion unaware of their condition.
The disclosure was made by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, during a leadership dialogue organised by the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board in collaboration with development partners, including Nigeria Health Watch.
The event aimed to strengthen primary healthcare delivery across the state.
The dialogue brought together senior government officials, health administrators, and local council leaders to assess the state of primary healthcare services in Lagos and identify areas requiring urgent intervention.
Speaking on the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, Abayomi described hypertension, diabetes, and obesity as ‘silent killers’ responsible for a rising number of preventable complications in hospitals statewide.
He noted that roughly 20 percent of Lagos residents, or about six million people, are hypertensive.
Available data indicate that nearly 70 percent of those affected, approximately 4.2 million residents, are unaware of their condition, leaving them vulnerable to severe health complications such as heart failure, kidney failure, and stroke.
“The challenge with hypertension and diabetes is that they often progress silently until significant damage has occurred. This makes routine screening and early detection essential for preventing life-threatening outcomes,” Abayomi explained.
The commissioner emphasised that many of the complications overwhelming secondary and tertiary hospitals could be avoided through simple interventions at the primary healthcare level.
He highlighted that regular blood pressure checks, blood sugar testing, weight monitoring, and lifestyle counseling, if effectively implemented at primary healthcare centers, PHCs, could drastically reduce the burden of these diseases.
Abayomi urged Lagos residents to take advantage of available primary healthcare services, noting that timely diagnosis and proactive management of these conditions are key to building a healthier, more resilient population.
