Prevalence of chronic illnesses in Nigeria
According to Wikipedia: "A chronic condition is a human health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term 'chronic' is often applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three months". Chronic diseases are usually categorized as Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) since they cannot be transmitted from one person to another. Some common examples of chronic diseases include diabetes, arthritis, cancers, chronic respiratory disorder, kidney diseases, cardiovascular diseases (such as stroke, hypertension, coronary artery disease, etc) and so on.
Chronic diseases are known to affect the functioning of different body parts or organs- localized or otherwise- and could result in mortality when in advanced stage. They have been implicated in a considerably high number of deaths; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 70% of deaths recorded globally are as a result of one chronic illness or another.
Statistics of chronic diseases in Nigeria
In recent years, there has been a rise in the cases of chronic illnesses recorded in Nigeria. There is rarely anyone who has not been affected- either directly or indirectly- by illnesses such as heart attacks, cancers and kidney failures.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report on Nigeria in 2014, the mortality rate from NCDs stands at 24%. A breakdown of this, shows the following trend:
Cardiovascular diseases: 7%
Cancers: 3%
Diabetes: 2%
Chronic respiratory diseases: 1%
Other NCDs: 11%
Risk factors
The risk factors that contribute to incidences and/or increased rate of chronic illnesses revolve around lifestyle and diet.
Lifestyle
At the thought of lifestyle [in relation to chronic diseases], it is quite easy to quickly pin this group of diseases to social lifestyle- whereby one streamlines it to individuals who indulge in heavy alcohol consumption, smoking and so on. But then, it has to be said that the kind of lifestyle that can serve as catalyst for the emergence of chronic illnesses also encompasses the emotional and occupational aspects [of life]. Take for instance, an average Nigerian worker spends most of his day at work, probably sitting at a particular spot for a long period of time; this could open such a person to a chronic illness as time goes by. In short, whatever lifestyle that consistently causes stress on your organs [and body] can eventually lead to a chronic condition. On the other extreme, an individual who lives a sedentary life is yet prone to illnesses such as obesity and heart-related diseases.
Diet
The food we take in is another critical thing to consider when taking the prevalence of NCDs into account. Unhealthy dietary trend can trigger the emergence of heart disorders, kidney failure, arthritis, cancer and so on. This trend borders on consuming foods that are hazardous to human health and also failing to eat a balanced diet.
And while food eating can be seen as a deliberate act; I will like to posit that diet is about 'everything' that goes into the human system. Therefore, I wish to point out that there are a whole lot of substances that find their ways into our body while we are on the go- some examples include the smoke emitted into the surrounding from vehicle's exhaust and the hydrocarbons one (who may not even be a smoker) might inhale while standing close to a smoker.
Chronic illnesses have really become a plague world over, and it is only wise that we make attempts towards fighting off their prevalence. In the days ahead, I hope to discuss the preventive measures that can be taken towards ensuring that one is not victimized by this scourge.