Stakeholders have called for policies aimed at increasing the life expectancy in Nigeria and Africa to surpass 65 years.
They made this known on Tuesday at the two-day 2024 Gatefield Health Summit themed, “Beyond 65: Preventing the quiet epidemic,” to address the escalating crisis of Non-Communicable Diseases in Nigeria and sub-saharan Africa.
According to the World Health Organisation, NCDs are the first cause of death and disability worldwide. The term NCDs refers to a group of conditions that are not mainly caused by an acute infection, result in long-term health consequences and often create a need for long-term treatment and care. These five main NCDs are cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung illnesses and Mental health conditions.
It said NCDs are increasingly becoming the main cause of mortality in the African region, and were responsible for 37 per cent of deaths in 2019, rising from 24 per cent in 2000.
The global health body noted that cardiovascular diseases are the most frequent causes of NCDs deaths, responsible for approximately 13 per cent of all deaths and 37 per cent of all NCDs deaths in Africa.
“In 2020, there were around 1.1 million new cancer cases and 700,000 deaths in Africa. Africa accounts for 5.7 per cent of global cancer incidence but has a larger share of deaths, at more than seven per cent. Cancer death rates in Africa are projected to exceed the global average by 30 per cent in the next 20 years. The most common cancers in adults include breast (16.5 per cent) and cervical (13.1 per cent). There were 24 million people with diabetes in 2021. The total number of people with diabetes in the region is predicted to increase by 129 per centto 55 million by 2045,” WHO stated.
Speaking at the summit, Gatefield’s Board Co-Chair Sa’adatu Hamu-Aliyu said the aim of the summit is to be a catalyst where living beyond 65 is not the exception, but the general expectation.
She emphasised that the average Nigerian does not live past the age of 52 and the average African does not live past the age of 64, compared to Europe, Japan, and Canada, where life expectancy exceeds 80 years.
“This means that an average person in the developed world is likely to live at least 20 years longer than their fellow humans in low and middle income populations.This summit is to address one of the most important pandemics, which is the crisis of people dying before the age of 65, not just Nigerians, but generally Africans. We want to live up to 80, which is the comparable life expectancy in other countries. Thereis lack of adequate awareness on NCDs, and we need to push an awareness towards a silent pandemic across Africa at large. One of the focal areas in this summit is to know the fiscal policies towards NCDs and how do we prepare primary health care centres to be the first line of defence or detection for NCDs.
“We invest a lot heavily as a country, and even within our donor partners, in terms of communicable diseases, but the reality today is, as adults, we are more likely to die from NCDs than from communicable diseases, because it represents over 74 per cent of deaths globally, and almost 40 per cent of deaths in Africa.
“Among core issues that have been highlighted amongst the strategies is that we have a poor diet as a country, our environment is poor because we allow a lot of smoking to happen, our health strategies as a country towards building infrastructure is almost non-existent. We need to build infrastructure that will encourage people to work out.”
The President-elect of the Union for International Cancer Control Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu stressed the importance of policy in addressing the growing burden of NCDs.
Shinkafi-Bagudu who was represented by Dr Fatima Dambatta said, “To mitigate the burden of NCDs, we need to discuss how. Policies are made by people, and to influence policy, we need to put forward a strong argument. When we do so, we can begin to see the change that we want.”
The Former Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Babatunde Irukera underscored the role of both physical and human infrastructure.
Irukera called for a combination of well-equipped facilities and adequately trained personnel to ensure accountability and effective care.
He said, “A robust policy and structure will be a combination of hard and soft infrastructure in the forms of both physical structures such as facilities and equipment, and soft ones such as sufficiently trained human capital who recognise their roles and obligations as caregivers and institutions to ensure accountability.”
Unveiling Gatefield’s health strategy to tackle NCDs and the life expectancy gap, the organisation’s Lead Strategist, Adewunmi Emoruwa highlighted that the plan targets the prevention of NCDs like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke.
Emoruwa said there is a need to fix our national diet, take down tobacco, walk daily, clear the air and return to wholeness.
He noted that, “A balanced diet low in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats and rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can lower NCD risks and aid recovery. We need to not just create laws, but enforce them; 30 minutes of movement a day
could transform our health, and we want to promote that.
“We must advocate for policies that
reduce emissions and protect our lungs, and there is need for a community-driven wave of mental health interventions.
“The heart of our strategy lies in behavioural change and advocacy. NCDs like cancer and heart disease are not death sentences if caught early, we need support of policy makers, and we will push policy makers to pass laws that protect lives.”
The International President of Movendi International, Kristina Sperkova called attention to the healthcare industry’s shortcomings.
“People care about being healthy and staying healthy, yet good health is out of reach for many. The healthcare industry employs methods that are exploitative, fueling the public health crisis of NCDs. We need to live in a time where people’s health are prioritised in a sustainable manner,” she said.
On her part, the Chair of the Nigeria Universal Health Coverage Forum, Moji Makanjuola highlighted the severity of NCDs in low and middle-income countries.
She stated, “NCDs account for over 85 per cent of deaths in low and middle income countries like Nigeria, putting a strain on family finances and healthcare resources. Tackling NCDs requires healthcare reforms, and we must prioritize preventive care that starts from the primary level until the tertiary level.
“To do this, investment in healthcare infrastructure is crucial – government and private sectors must collaborate to achieve this. Universal Health Coverage is a human right that we all must pursue, however, prevention remains our most powerful tool.”
