Chronic Disease Brief For Africa (October 2018) By Dara Oloyede
Nigeria - Lagoon Hospital Breast Cancer Awareness Walk
Gambia – Breast Cancer Awareness Month
1 out of 3 of Nigerians have High Blood Pressure
Ghana – 43% of Ghanaians are Obese
Kenya – 4 out of every 100 Deaths Linked to Alcohol Use
Nigeria - Lagoon Hospital Breast Cancer Awareness Walk
October is International Breast cancer awareness month. In order to honour this month, Lagoon Hospital got the residents of Victoria Island to participate in a 6.8km walk. The goal of this walk was to support women living with breast cancer and promote detection, treatment, and a cure for cancer. The walk also included free breast cancer screenings in order to make screenings more accessible. Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women, and late detection is one of the main reasons. Dr. Ajibike Oyewumi, the Clinical Director for Lagoon Hospitals said that stigma is another barrier to why some women do not seek health services or treatments (Onyenucheya, 2018).
For more information, check out this article at guardian.ng: Lagoon Hospitals Engage Residents on Awareness Walk to Prevent Breast Cancer
Gambia – Breast Cancer Awareness Month
For World Breast Cancer month, the Sainey’s Cancer Foundation (SCAF) in collaboration with Your Change for a Change (YCFAC) carried out month-long breast cancer promotion activities. These activities were done to raise awareness and increase prevention. Dr. Kitabou Jammeh, a medical doctor at Edward Franchise Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH), said that barriers to care include the lack of education and awareness about breast cancer (Cham, 2018).
For more information check out this article at thepoint.gm: Awareness on breast cancer begins in earnest
1 out of 3 of Nigerians Have High Blood Pressure
Hypertension is a public health issue in Nigeria. Dr Okechukwu Ogah, president of the Nigerian Cardiac Society, reported that 1 out of 3 adults over the age of 20 have Hypertension. Further, they found that 29.5% of men and 25% of women have high blood pressure. Dr. Ogah said that these rates have been increasing because of the consumption of unhealthy foods and the lack of exercise. Experts advise that people complete routine blood pressure checks (Joel, 2018).
For more information check out this article at africacheck.org: Do a third of adults in Nigeria Suffer from High Blood Pressure?
Ghana – 43% of Ghanaians are Obese
A recent study conducted by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of the Western Cape in South Africa showed that 43% of Ghanaians are obese. They found that fatty foods and sedentariness have been the main factors that led to obesity. Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of fast food restaurants in the country, especially in urban areas. A restaurant in Tamale called Verity encourages customers to be healthy. The head chef of the restaurant, Nayabri David, has 9 years of experience in cooking various local and intercontinental dishes. He speaks to bad practices he’s found in restaurants such as deep frying. He believes that grilling meat is a healthier technique for cooking meat. The restaurant’s CEO, Sheba Kumfah, talks to families about encouraging their kids to eat healthier and eat more fruits and vegetables (allafrica.com, 2018)
For more information check out this article at allafrica.com: Ghana’s Obesity Problem Tied in With Junk Food
Kenya – 4 out of every 100 Deaths Linked to Alcohol Use
According to a recent WHO report, 4 out of every 100 people, lost their lives because of alcohol abuse or misuse. The report also showed that alcohol consumption is high among minors. Illicit alcohol makes up 37% of all alcohol consumed, and the prevalence of alcohol use disorders is at 4%. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said that the harmful use of alcohol affects not only individuals but also families and communities through violence, injuries such as road accidents, mental health issues, and diseases such as cancer and stroke (Kairu, 2018).
For more information check out this article at nation.co.ke: Four of Every 100 deaths in Kenya Linked to Alcohol
Dara Oloyede is the African News Correspondent for Engage Africa Foundation. She holds her Masters of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health and Program Management. During her free time, she likes to read books, spend time with friends, go to the movies, concerts, as well as events that celebrate different cultures.
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