van de Vijver Steven, Akinyi Hilda, Oti Samuel, Olajide Ademola, Agyemang Charles, Aboderin Isabella, Kyobutungi Catherine
APHRC, African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya ; AIGHD, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, The Netherlands.
APHRC, African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya.
Pan Afr Med J. 2013 Oct 5;16:38. doi: 10.11604/pamj.2013.16.38.3100. eCollection 2013.
Hypertension has always been regarded as a disease of affluence but this has changed drastically in the last two decades with average blood pressures now higher in Africa than in Europe and USA and the prevalence increasing among poor sections of society. We have conducted a literature search on PubMed on a broad range of topics regarding hypertension in Africa, including data collection from related documents from World Health Organization and other relevant organizations that are available in this field. We have shared the initial results and drafts with international specialists in the context of hypertension in Africa and incorporated their feedback. Hypertension is the number one risk factor for CVD in Africa. Consequently, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has taken over as number one cause of death in Africa and the total numbers will further increase in the next decades reflecting on the growing urbanization and related lifestyle changes. The new epidemic of hypertension and CVD is not only an important public health problem, but it will also have a big economic impact as a significant proportion of the productive population becomes chronically ill or die, leaving their families in poverty. It is essential to develop and share best practices for affordable and effective community-based programs in screening and treatment of hypertension. In order to prevent and control hypertension in the population, Africa needs policies developed and implemented through a multi-sectoral approach involving the Ministries of Health and other sectors including education, agriculture, transport, finance among others.
高血压一直被视为一种富贵病，但在过去二十年里，这种情况发生了巨大变化，如今非洲的平均血压高于欧洲和美国，且社会贫困阶层中的患病率也在上升。我们在PubMed上对一系列有关非洲高血压的广泛主题进行了文献检索，包括从世界卫生组织及该领域其他相关组织的相关文件中收集数据。我们已在非洲高血压的背景下与国际专家分享了初步结果和草案，并纳入了他们的反馈意见。高血压是非洲心血管疾病的首要危险因素。因此，心血管疾病已成为非洲的头号死因，且在未来几十年，随着城市化进程的加快和相关生活方式的改变，其总死亡人数还会进一步增加。高血压和心血管疾病的新流行不仅是一个重要的公共卫生问题，还将产生巨大的经济影响，因为相当一部分劳动人口会长期患病或死亡，使他们的家庭陷入贫困。制定并分享经济实惠且有效的基于社区的高血压筛查和治疗项目的最佳做法至关重要。为了预防和控制人群中的高血压，非洲需要通过多部门方法制定和实施政策，这涉及卫生部以及教育、农业、交通、财政等其他部门。
