May & Baker Educates Nigerians On Dangers Of Hypertension
Pharmaceutical giant May & Baker Nigeria Plc, on Friday, organised a health walk to sensitise the public on the dangers associated with hypertension.
This was in commemoration of World Hypertension Day, which is observed annually on May 17 to raise awareness and promote hypertension prevention, detection and control.
Speaking during the exercise, the Managing Director of the company, Mr Patrick Ajah, described hypertension as a major cause of cardiovascular disease and sudden/premature deaths among the Nigerian populace.
He said many sudden deaths could have been prevented with a regular check on blood pressure (BP) and proper management of the condition.
Ajah further described hypertension as a silent killer and advised that people should not wait to see symptoms, but develop the habit of checking their BP regularly to avert the risk of complications associated with unchecked/uncontrolled BP.
He noted that diabetic patients are at higher risk of developing hypertension, adding that most of those who die suddenly are those who have diabetes and high blood pressure at the same time.
Quoting Ajah, “In recent times, many Nigerians have been coming down with sudden deaths and heart attacks simply because of unchecked BP and inability to properly manage the condition. Unfortunately, with the condition of the country, many people no longer go to the hospital unless they are really sick.
“In most cases, high blood pressure shows no sign, as many with the condition are walking around without knowing. So, this is a day to sensitise people on how important it is to regularly check their BP as a way of preventing some of these situations that happened.”
He also frowned at situations where hypertensive patients stop taking the medication once they notice improvement in their health condition, saying that people should understand that an antihypertensive drug is a lifelong medication.
“The fact that hypertensive patients should be on antihypertensive drugs for life: a lot of people can no longer afford them, given the economic condition and the fact that most of the initial products for managing hypertension are developed by multinational companies.
“Companies like May & Baker are helping to bridge the gap by producing some of these medications at prices that are affordable to Nigerians. The truth is that, with the recent devaluation of our currency, it’s really very difficult for many people to afford these medications.
“The thing is that any person placed on an antihypertensive drug has to be on it for life. So, there are situations where hypertensive patients stop taking the medication once they notice improvement in their health condition, or maybe because of its high cost.
“But I really must say that the federal government needs to do something to ensure a reduction in the prices of drugs, much of which is driven by the foreign exchange situation. The raw materials are bought in dollars, so as the currency continues to be devalued, the prices are going to go up.
“We are doing our best to see how we moderate the prices, but there’s more than this to be done,” Ajah explained.
May & Baker Educates Nigerians On Dangers Of Hypertension is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
