Anambra State Government will prioritize primary health care, especially in the treatment of hypertensive patients at different primary healthcare centres in the State.

 

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, stated this after a walk in Awka to mark the 2022 World Hypertension Day.

World Hypertension Day, celebrated across the world every seventeenth of May, was initiated by the World Hypertension League, WHL, to increase awareness of hypertension because of lack of adequate knowledge among hypertensive patients.

 

The day tagged “Walk the Talk: Health for All Challenge” lays emphasis on the need to encourage physical exercise among the populace as a way of increasing healthy living.

The sensitization organized by the State Ministry of Health, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, World Health Organization, WHO and UNICEF, informed the public against unhealthy food practices that endanger people’s lives such as choosing to fry food instead of boiling, saying that too much frying of food or consumption of oil increases cholesterol intake, which could increase one’s risk of being exposed to having high or low blood pressure.

 

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Obidike, said the Soludo administration will not relent in the attempt to give Ndị Anambra better access to health care as such will support better health service delivery at primary, secondary and tertiary health care centres in the State.

The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Nwankwo, expressed worry that people are living more sedentary lifestyles which increases health risks and encouraged the citizens to always find time to walk, jog or engage in other forms of exercise, while also advising people to check their blood pressure level periodically, and start treatment early when necessary.

 

Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Chioma Ezenyimulu, offered advice on healthy food practices that will reduce the risk of becoming hypertensive, such as reduction of high intake of alcohol, dietary salt intake, smoking and high oil intake.

The walk took the staff of the participating Ministry and agencies through the streets and roads in Awka and ended with a free check of people’s blood pressure at Aroma Junction, Awka.