malvernmugadzikwa
Fatima Bulla-Musakwa
AN estimated 30 percent of young people in Zimbabwe are living with hypertension, which is fast becoming a killer condition among youths in the country, a Government medical official has confirmed.
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition in which the force of blood pushing against the walls of a patient’s arteries is consistently too high.
This can damage arteries over time and increase the risk of serious health problems such as stroke, heart and kidney diseases.
The authorities say unhealthy lifestyles — including alcohol consumption, smoking and consumption of processed food, coupled with lack of physical activity — were raising the risk of developing the medical condition among people aged between 15 and 35 years.
Health and Child Care Ministry medical officer Dr Misheck Ruwende said young people living in urban areas were at higher risk of developing the condition compared to their counterparts in rural areas.
“We don’t have much research on the subject, but what is driving the high numbers of people developing hypertension are the risk factors we find in cities.
“For example, in the past, people in rural areas were more physically active and their diet was healthy, with less fatty food.
“Nowadays, with Westernisation, the diet is more of junk and fatty foods and also risky behaviours, and people don’t move as much. You get in your car, go to and from work, there is no movement there in terms of physical activity,” he said.
Research has shown that the increasing number of young people living with hypertension is placing a huge financial burden on the public health system.
Research done in South Africa showed that it costs US$2 500 for a hospital to treat a hypertension patient for a lifetime.
“That is why prevention is much cheaper to the individual and Government,” said Dr Ruwende.
“Also, the good thing is we can deal with a good number of these risk factors.
“We can cut our alcohol intake, stop smoking, become more physically active, and also lose excess weight because obesity is another contributory factor.”
Ms Annie Msauki, a nutritionist and infant feeding counsellor, said consumption of fresh fruits was declining on account of rapid urbanisation, which has left people with little space for gardening.
“Buying fruits and vegetables can be pricey because people prioritise other fixed expenses and play around with their food budget,” she said.
“They buy what they can at the time, so fruits and vegetables become more or less a luxury. We don’t have strong policies and regulations like in some countries where they have a sugar tax, which limits consumption and access. We don’t have policies of what has to be sold or not in school tuckshops. So, all those things are exposing them (adolescents) to danger because there is a lot of junk food being sold at school entrances.”
Social commentator and television talk show host Dr Rebecca Chisamba said simple habits like drinking water, resting, getting enough sleep and exercising were now lacking among young people.
“People are now substituting water with fizzy drinks that are now very cheap; you can get two or four for a dollar.
“Being wealthy, though good, at times negatively affects us. A person just gets out of the house, goes into the car and drives into the basement at work, then straight into the elevator, then into the office. “They don’t walk, even four hundred or five hundred metres.
“A person has designated hours they must sleep, but some are sleeping for less than 30 minutes and they are up pursuing deals ,” said Dr Chisamba.
X: @BullaFatima
Online Reporter