WHO-ISH guidelines for the management of hypertension: Implementation in Africa - The Nigerian experience

A 1990-91 country-wide survey in Nigeria showed the prevalence of hypertens ion to be 11.2% in those aged 15 years and above. The management, however, has been shown to be inadequate. At the instance of the Nigerian Hypertensi on Society a Consensus Meeting of National Medical Societies and other inte rest groups produced in 1996 Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension in Nigeria. Medical societies and the pharmaceutical industry have tried to increase awareness of the condition and its control through lectures, semi nars, sponsor of essay competitions among secondary school and university s tudents as well as canvassing against cigarette advertising and smoking in public places. However, their efforts are thwarted by luring advertisements by multinational tobacco companies driven from developed countries by anti -tobacco lobbies and legislation. A questionnaire survey showed that no oth er African country had produced similar guidelines in the past five years. In Sub-Saharan Africa there appears to be negligible implementation of the WHO-ISM Guidelines.