Professor Adeseye Abiodun Akintunde, a distinguished scholar in Cardiovascular Medicine at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso, has urged the Nigerian government to create and implement regulatory measures aimed at improving cardiovascular healthcare across the nation.
Professor Akintunde delivered his speech during the presentation of the 64th Inaugural Lecture at the University, entitled “The Heart and Its Poisonous Murmurs of Ailments: Separating the Wheat From the Chaff” held at the University Auditorium in Ogbomoso.
He argued that the government must implement strong measures to integrate routine screenings for cardiovascular disease risks into healthcare practices in Nigeria. This includes enforcing stricter regulations on diets, controlling drug and substance use, prohibiting tobacco smoking, managing alcohol and energy drink consumption, reducing air pollution, and enhancing workplace safety—all aimed at preventing CVDs and fostering a healthier populace. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of forming strategic collaborations among key players in cardiac health care to benefit the broader community.
When outlining fundamental cardiovascular care to encompass the management of simple CV risk factors at primary healthcare centers, antenatal care, and HIV services, he urged “the government, non-governmental organizations, and other key parties to promote collaborative educational initiatives for the public regarding CVD prevention and safeguarding.”
He advocated for the establishment of regular, compulsory cardiovascular screenings across the nation and promoted the nationwide implementation of the Know Your Numbers initiative (a program aimed at detecting hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetes). These factors collectively account for 90 percent of overall cardiovascular risk within the populace.
As he advocated for incorporating cardiac care into the national health insurance program and providing discounted medications to maintain consistent treatment for individuals with cardiovascular diseases, he also pushed for improved funding for such care. This includes expanding access to heart equipment and setting up six regional facilities for both open and closed-heart operations in Nigeria, all underwritten to guarantee expertise and broader reach.
Akintunde noted that implementing a task-sharing and task-shifting approach for cardiovascular care within the community, coupled with consistent training and supervision of healthcare providers, could involve non-physician personnel in managing simpler aspects of CVD risk factors.
He additionally campaigned for increased funding for research into cardiovascular diseases, aiming to offer groundbreaking treatments for Africans suffering from heart conditions.
FURTHER READING ON THE LATEST HEADLINES IN NIGERIA’S TRIBUNE
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
Syndigate.info
).
Leave a Reply