Nigeria is facing a growing health crisis as cases of heart attacks among young people continue to rise. According to experts, the country is experiencing an Epidemic of heart attacks among individuals below 50 years old, with many cases requiring emergency intervention. Statistics show that coronary heart disease, once a rarity in Nigeria, has become commonplace. In the 1960s and 1970s, studies showed that it affected only one in 20,000 Nigerians. However, today, experts estimate that it affects over 10% of the population, with many cases going undiagnosed.
Its rise among young Nigerians has prompted leading public and private tertiary hospitals to forge partnerships to enhance cardiac care capabilities. Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has signed a memorandum of understanding with private hospitals to develop its capacity in interventional cardiology. According to Dr. Wasiu Adeyemo, Chief Medical Director of LUTH, the collaboration aims to train doctors and nurses in interventional cardiology and provide affordable cardiac care to Nigerians. “We want to take advantage of collaboration with private institutions to train our people so that when we have the Infrastructure in place, we can provide care at an affordable rate to Nigerians,” Adeyemo said.
Access to cardiac care must be increased to fix gap.
Experts attribute the rising cases to lifestyle changes, including a diet high in fast food, lack of exercise, and poor medication adherence. “We have developed some of the bad habits of the West, eating fast food, not exercising, not taking our medications for blood pressure, and too much fat,” said Dr. Yemi Johnson, an interventional cardiologist. The situation is dire, with Nigeria having only two functional cardiac catheterization labs in the public sector, despite a population of over 200 million people. The international recommendation is one catheterisation lab per one million people.
To address this gap, experts recommend increasing access to cardiac care through national health Insurance schemes and public-private partnerships. “If you have health insurance, increasing access to these procedures would boost volumes and improve training. Higher volumes allow for better training opportunities and lab sustainability,” said Dr. Oyewole Kushimo, consultant cardiologist at LUTH. Also, experts emphasize the need for awareness and Education on heart health, particularly among young people. “We need to educate people on the risk factors for heart disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, and encourage them to adopt healthy lifestyles,” said Dr. Akinsanya Olusegun-Joseph, consultant cardiologist at LUTH.
Role of different stakeholders in addressing this problem.
In addition, the government must prioritize cardiac care and develop strategies to address the growing burden of heart disease. “The government needs to invest in cardiac care infrastructure, including catheterization labs and cardiac intensive care units, and provide incentives for Private Sector Investment in cardiac care,” said Dr. Kushimo. The government must also address the shortage of cardiac specialists in the country. “We need more cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and other cardiac specialists to manage the growing number of Heart Disease cases,” said Dr. Johnson.
Furthermore, the private sector also has a role to play in addressing the heart disease epidemic in Nigeria. “Private hospitals and Healthcare Providers must invest in cardiac care infrastructure and services, including cath labs, cardiac intensive care units, and cardiac rehabilitation programs,” said Dr. Kushimo. Individuals also have a role to play in preventing this disease. “We must adopt healthy lifestyles, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress management, to reduce our risk of heart disease,” said Dr. Olusegun-Joseph.
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The consequences of inaction are dire. Heart disease is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and Nigeria is no exception. If left unchecked, the rising cases of heart attacks among young Nigerians will continue to rise, with devastating consequences for individuals, families, and the economy. Therefore, we must act now to address the growing burden of heart disease in Nigeria. We must prioritize cardiac care, invest in infrastructure and education, and encourage individuals to adopt healthy lifestyles.