Half of Lagos adults tested had high blood pressure. Most didn't know
A three-month screening drive by University of Lagos cardiologists found 52.5% with hypertension, and only 8.3% with it under control. The fixes are cheap.
Lagos — High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it rarely announces itself. A team of cardiologists led by Amam Mbawkem, professor of medicine at the University of Lagos, set up free testing stations in hospitals, pharmacies, workplaces and public spaces across Lagos for three months in 2023, and tested up to 1,500 adults. He reports the results in The Conversation.
What they found
- 52.5% had hypertension (140/90 or higher).
- 65.3% of them did not know.
- Only 13.8% were taking medication, and just 8.3% had their blood pressure under control.
- 57.3% paid for their medicines entirely out of pocket.
- More than one in five took medication only when they felt they needed it.
- People with no formal schooling were about 2.5 times more likely to have higher blood pressure.
Why it matters
Hypertension drives strokes, heart failure and cardiac arrest, causing more than 10 million deaths a year worldwide. The WHO estimates about 36% of Nigerian adults have it.
The good news: the fixes are affordable
1. Regular mass screening, like the Lagos drive. 2. Cheap, proven, off-patent medicines made widely available. 3. Use the WHO's HEARTS package of protocols. 4. Let nurses and primary health workers measure blood pressure, start treatment by protocol and refill prescriptions. 5. Community health workers to screen, refer and follow up. 6. Add blood pressure care to existing clinics rather than building new systems.
Knowing your numbers is the first step. If you are an adult, get your blood pressure checked.
Source: The Conversation, 18 October 2026.
