Dr. Oladipupo Fasan, the Head of Cardiology at the National Hospital in Abuja, says Nigeria needs to improve its Primary Health Care (PHC) system to better fight heart diseases.
Speaking to reporters on World Heart Day (September 29), which had the theme “Don’t Miss a Beat,” Dr. Fasan said PHC centers must be stronger to handle heart-related illnesses.
He explained that health workers need proper training to recognize and treat heart conditions, which are different from diseases like malaria, typhoid, or tuberculosis.
“Doctors, nurses, and community health workers need clear training and guidelines to find heart problems early and send serious cases to specialists,” he said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), heart diseases are still the number one cause of death in the world. In 2022, they caused 19.8 million deaths — about 32% of all deaths worldwide.
“Over 85% of these deaths were due to heart attacks and strokes, and more than 75% happened in low- and middle-income countries,” WHO reported.
Dr. Fasan said that even though Nigeria trains many doctors, many are either unemployed or moving abroad for better jobs.
He asked the government to hire more health workers and invest more in PHC centers.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is trying to include early testing and treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes, and other long-term illnesses in PHC services.
“This is being done by sharing tasks among health workers, following WHO’s guidelines,” he said. “These guidelines are good, but they need to be used faster.”
Dr. Fasan also said that strong health policies and systems are key to fighting heart disease.
He asked for laws to make food companies reduce salt, sugar, and unhealthy oils in their products. He also said more people should have access to health insurance to make healthcare fairer.
“With a strong PHC system, everyone can get better and fairer healthcare,” he said.
Talking about the 2025 World Heart Day theme, Fasan said it reminds people how important it is to get regular checkups and tests for high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol — all of which can lead to heart disease.
He also said that about 80% of heart problems are connected to social factors like income, education, and living conditions.
To prevent heart disease, Fasan advised people to live healthier by exercising regularly, eating better, managing stress, eating less salt and fat, not smoking, and taking their medicine as prescribed.
“We need to close the gaps in heart health awareness and treatment,” he said. “People who don’t know need to be informed. Those who need care should be able to get it easily, affordably, and regularly.”
