By Justina Auta
Patient advocates have called on the Federal Government and National Assembly to prioritise funding for hypertension, describing it as a “silent killer” that remains neglected in national health financing and policy attention.
They made the call during an advocacy visit on Wednesday in Abuja to Rep. Amos Magaji, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Health Care Services, aimed at strengthening policy and budgetary action on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
The visit formed part of the Advocacy Partnership for Hypertension Financing and Patient Voice (APH-FiP), a LISDEL project supported by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), focused on improving hypertension response in Nigeria.
Mr Francis Okonkwo, speaking on behalf of the NCD patient community, Mr Francis Okonkwo, speaking on behalf of the NCD patient community,said Nigeria’s health advocacy had largely prioritised maternal and child health, attracting significant funding and sustained national campaigns over the years.
He said that hypertension and other NCDs presented an equally urgent public health burden, but continued to suffer limited funding, weak awareness, and inadequate access to early diagnosis and treatment services nationwide.
“I can see hope, but we need the same fire used for maternal health to be turned toward this silent killer,” he said.
Okonkwo added that millions of Nigerians living with hypertension faced barriers to care due to weak health financing systems and insufficient government investment in prevention and long-term disease management.
In response, Magaji acknowledged that hypertension and diabetes were now among the leading causes of hospital visits in Nigeria, according to findings from his oversight responsibilities in the health sector.
He pledged legislative action to ensure hypertension was no longer treated as an afterthought in health budgeting, emphasising the need for more structured and predictable funding mechanisms.
According to him, efforts are underway to create independent budget lines for hypertension interventions to ensure funds are not absorbed into general administrative expenditures.
Magaji also disclosed plans to advocate for “first-line charge” status for hypertension funding, which would guarantee timely release of resources in spite of fiscal constraints.
He further confirmed ongoing discussions to increase the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) from one per cent to two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
The lawmaker pledged collaboration with the Budget Office and Ministry of Finance to ensure timely release and effective utilisation of funds for hypertension programmes. (NAN)
