Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital Senior Resident Officer Christabel Namukonda has called on Zambians to get screened for high blood pressure, warning that hypertension remains a silent killer responsible for strokes, heart attacks and heart failure across the country.
Speaking ahead of World Hypertension Day on 18 May, Senior Resident Medical Officer Dr Christabel Namukonda said many people live with high blood pressure without knowing it because the condition often shows no early symptoms.
Dr Namukonda said a person can live with the condition without them knowing that they are hypertensive.
Meanwhile, Dr. Namukonda noted that organ damage can progress silently, with some individuals appearing healthy until complications arise and the condition is eventually diagnosed.
She said screening during routine visits often reveals raised blood pressure in 40 to 50 percent of patients who had no idea they were at risk.
“The fact that somebody does not know they’re hypertensive does not mean they don’t have the condition, they don’t know because they have not been screened”, she said
Ms Namukonda said this year’s global theme is “Controlling Hypertension Together” where she noted that the message is collective action for families, communities and a nation.
“Levy Mwanawasa University Teaching Hospital will hold a march past from the hospital to Kulima Tower, followed by a public health outreach, free blood pressure checks, random blood sugar testing for diabetes, health talks on risk factors and blood donation,” Dr Namukonda said.
“We urge the public to come forward. Please get screened, know your numbers, hypertension is manageable, especially at the community level,” she said.
“We also call on the community to come and donate blood, we cannot manage some of these conditions without transfusion services.”
Dr Namukonda said the outreach aims to identify risk factors, raise awareness and share information so people can take early action.
World Hypertension Day is observed annually on 18 May to increase awareness of high blood pressure and promote prevention, detection and control.
