…Calls for urgent action on World Heart Day 2025 as heart disease surges
By Chioma Obinna
LAGOS – With cardiovascular diseases claiming over 20 million lives globally each year, the Nigerian Heart Foundation (NHF) has raised alarm over the country’s growing hypertension crisis, warning that four in every 10 adults in Nigeria are now living with the condition.
Chairman of the World Heart Day 2025 Committee, Professor Akin Oshibogun, disclosed this at a media briefing in Lagos, noting that the prevalence of hypertension has jumped from under 10 per cent in 1990 to nearly 40 per cent today.
“We are facing a national crisis. Hypertension now affects nearly 40 per cent of Nigerian adults. This is not just a statistic — it’s a silent killer,” Oshibogun warned.
This year’s World Heart Day theme, “Don’t Miss a Beat,” he said, is not merely a slogan but a rallying call for urgent action across all levels of society.
Oshibogun emphasised that lifestyle choices remain central to prevention, stressing the role of daily physical activity. “Movement is medicine — walking, dancing, climbing stairs or cycling can all reduce the risk of heart disease,” he said. He called on government to mandate exercise facilities in new housing estates, insisting that “if you’re building for 100 people, you must plan for their health.”
Air pollution, he noted, is also a major but overlooked threat to heart health, urging strict enforcement of environmental policies and reintroduction of large-scale tree planting initiatives. “Polluted air forces the heart to work twice as hard,” he cautioned.
President of NHF, Malam Ismaila Shuab, represented by Executive Director Dr. Kingsley Akinroye, stressed that cardiovascular disease is not just a health issue but a national development challenge. He highlighted the Foundation’s 25-year advocacy on heart health, saying: “Every heartbeat is precious. Our theme reminds us that small daily choices — what we eat, how much we move, how we breathe — add up to powerful protection.”
Other experts echoed the call for urgent action. Professor Adebayo Adeyemi urged a broader approach to environmental pollution beyond gas emissions, while WHO Ambassador and public health advocate, Dr. Olusegun Odegbami, shared success stories of grassroots walking campaigns in Ogun State.
Nutrition expert, Professor Olugbenga Ogumoyela, warned against excessive salt intake, dangerous food practices like reheating oil, and misleading food marketing, stressing that “the public needs simple, practical advice: eat less salt, avoid reheated oils, and choose heart-healthy foods.”
Stakeholders also highlighted the need for inclusive strategies that reach rural communities, improved playgrounds in urban estates, expanded health insurance coverage for cardiovascular treatment, and the empowerment of children as “agents of change” in spreading healthy lifestyle habits.
The NHF called on government at all levels, civil society, schools, and faith-based groups to join forces, stressing that protecting the nation’s hearts requires a whole-of-society approach.
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